Federal agency blocks Medicaid coverage of kids’ gender-affirming care

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a new federal rule that prohibits state Medicaid plans and CHIP funds from covering gender-affirming hormone therapies and procedures for minors. The rules define such care to include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical operations. Although the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asserted serious risks, many leading medical associations affirm the safety of this type of care.