WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program funding will no longer be available for certain gender-transition procedures provided to minors.
The policy, implemented through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, applies to procedures including puberty blockers, hormone treatments and surgical interventions for children and adolescents.
HHS said the decision follows a review of national and international research that identified what the agency described as significant gaps in evidence and safety concerns surrounding the use of these interventions in minors.
“Today, we are ending federal taxpayer funding for sex-rejecting procedures on children,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “These interventions carry serious risks and can cause irreversible harm.”
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the policy is intended to ensure that federal health programs fund treatments the administration believes meet its standards for evidence and safety.
The agency cited reviews conducted in the United States and abroad, including the United Kingdom’s Cass Review, as part of the basis for the policy. HHS also pointed to changes in positions among some medical organizations and restrictions enacted by states and other countries.
The administration argues that puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries can have lasting effects, including impacts on fertility, sexual function and bone density.
The policy has been presented by HHS as a restriction on federal funding, rather than a nationwide prohibition on all such medical care. The rule specifically applies to federal Medicaid and CHIP funding.
Under the rule, federal Medicaid and CHIP funding will remain available for a transition period of up to six months after the rule takes effect for children who are already receiving hormone therapy.
HHS said the new policy does not eliminate Medicaid coverage for mental health services. The agency said Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment program will continue providing comprehensive mental health services to eligible children, while CHIP will continue to cover medically necessary mental health services as required by federal law.
The final rule is scheduled to take effect Oct. 13, 2026.
The action follows an earlier effort by the Trump administration to restrict federal support for gender-transition procedures involving minors. In December 2025, HHS announced proposed rules that would have barred participating hospitals from performing certain procedures on minors and separately proposed ending federal Medicaid and CHIP funding for the procedures.
The new rule is expected to have implications for states that use federal Medicaid and CHIP dollars to help finance these services, although the specific effect will depend on state policies and how the rule is implemented.
HHS described the action as part of the administration’s broader effort to change federal policy regarding medical treatment for minors with gender dysphoria.
The final rule is available through the Federal Register.
