New Rules Targeting Trans Youth Health Care

The Trump administration is making big moves against trans youth. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. just announced plans to cut off federal funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors. This includes treatments like puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery. The administration is proposing two new rules. One would stop hospitals from getting Medicare and Medicaid funds if they offer this care. The other would block federal money from being used for gender-affirming care for minors.This isn't the first time the Trump administration has gone after trans rights. Earlier this year, Trump signed orders attacking "gender ideology extremism" and calling gender-affirming care "mutilation. " The Supreme Court also recently allowed a new passport policy that requires people to list their sex at birth. Medical experts strongly disagree with these policies. Groups like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics support gender-affirming care for minors. Most of this care involves puberty blockers and hormones, not surgery. These proposed rules are still in the works. The administration has to go through a process before they become official. But if they do, they could have a big impact on trans youth and the hospitals that treat them.