The Trump administration delivered on its promise to protect children from experimental gender procedures, unveiling sweeping federal rules that would cut off taxpayer funding to hospitals performing these controversial treatments on minors.
Story Highlights
- HHS proposes cutting Medicare and Medicaid funding from hospitals providing gender-affirming care to children
- Health Secretary RFK Jr. calls these procedures “malpractice” that “rob children of their futures”
- New rules would impact nearly two dozen states where such treatments remain legal
- FDA issues warning letters to companies marketing chest-binding equipment to minors
- Polling shows half of Americans approve of Trump’s approach to transgender issues
Federal Funding Restrictions Target Gender Procedures
The Department of Health and Human Services announced comprehensive proposals to eliminate federal Medicare and Medicaid funding from hospitals providing gender-affirming care to minors.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared these procedures “malpractice,” stating that “sex-rejecting procedures rob children of their futures.” The funding restrictions extend to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program for patients under 19, creating significant financial pressure on healthcare providers nationwide.
Trump administration unveils proposals to cut off transgender care for minors https://t.co/dYcUQa635D
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) December 18, 2025
Supreme Court Victory Strengthens State-Level Protections
The administration’s federal approach builds on recent Supreme Court success in upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender treatments for minors. Tennessee’s SB1 law prohibits puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender adolescents under 18, with the state arguing it has a “compelling interest in encouraging minors to appreciate their sex.”
At least 27 states have already adopted similar protective measures, and the Court’s decision ensures most state laws will remain intact, creating a strong foundation for federal action.
Regulatory Actions Expand Beyond Healthcare Funding
Kennedy announced additional measures, including proposals to exclude gender dysphoria from federal disability definitions through the HHS Office of Civil Rights. The FDA simultaneously issued warning letters to 12 companies marketing chest-binding equipment, including GenderBender LLC and TomboyX, stating that such devices can only be legally sold for FDA-approved medical use, such as post-mastectomy recovery.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, characterized transgender treatments as “a Band-Aid on a much deeper pathology.”
Public Support Backs Administration’s Child Protection Stance
Polling data reveals significant public support for the Trump administration’s position, with an Associated Press-NORC survey showing approximately half of Americans approve of the president’s handling of transgender issues.
Conservative activist Chloe Cole, known for her gender-transition reversal advocacy, spoke at the announcement, expressing gratitude that cries for help “have finally been heard.”
The proposals face a lengthy federal rulemaking process, including public comment periods, before becoming permanent, though hospitals have already begun discontinuing such procedures in anticipation of federal restrictions.
