In New Assault on Trans Youth Care, Trump Administration Bars Medicaid and CHIP Coverage for Necessary Health Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Trump administration's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued an outrageous new rule barring Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits from being used on behalf of transgender youth to pay for best-practice health care recommended by their physician.

"Every young person is entitled to the health care that they, their parents, and their medical providers agree that they need, without politicians interfering with these important and highly personal decisions. And yet, rather than working to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, the Trump administration continues to obsess over the healthcare needs of trans youth, this time by cutting off health insurance coverage for those who rely on Medicaid and CHIP to access that care," said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. "The Trump administration is terrorizing trans youth and their families with these kinds of actions, and it has to stop."

The rule specifically bars the use of these benefits to pay for pharmaceutical and surgical interventions, including hormone treatments, for transgender youth under age 18 using Medicaid funds, and for transgender individuals under age 19 using CHIP funds. Medicaid and CHIP benefits will remain available to pay for mental health treatments for transgender youth, including as part of their care for gender dysphoria. These restrictions are currently scheduled to take effect on October 12, 2026. However, youth who are accessing impacted care currently being paid for through Medicaid and CHIP will be permitted to continue using that coverage for their care for an additional six months after this rule takes effect.

This new outrage is just the latest in a series of moves that the Trump administration has taken to attack transgender people. Last week, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the law firm Correia & Puth filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against the Trump administration's Office of Personnel Management for prohibiting health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care under the Federal Employee Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits plans.

Get the Facts on Trans Health Care:

For many people, medical care for purposes of gender transition is medically necessary care that is supported by every major medical and mental health organization as best-practice medicine - including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychological Association. Research has consistently found that the receipt of gender-affirming care can significantly improve the lives of people who receive it.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action-working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.