Dr. Oz takes gender-affirming care coverage away from trans Medicaid recipients

[Jessica_Rose]

Dr. Oz takes gender-affirming care coverage away from trans Medicaid recipients

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/04/dr-oz-takes-gender-affirming-care-coverage-away-from-trans-medicaid-recipients/

By Alex Bollinger (14 April 2025)

Mehmet Oz, the newly confirmed administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has banned Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Medicaid is the joint state-federal program that covers health care for people with low incomes, including 40% of minors in the U.S.

A letter sent from the CMS to state Medicaid directors said that the agency will stop reimbursing gender-affirming care for minors, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical interventions. The letter says that there is an "underdeveloped body of evidence" supporting gender-affirming care despite the research showing that it's a safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria, which is supported by all major medical organizations in the U.S. The letter also cites the U.K.'s "Cass review," a report on gender-affirming care that has been criticized for its bias against transgender people.

"Medicaid dollars are not to be used for gender reassignment surgeries or hormone treatments in minors – procedures that can cause permanent, irreversible harm, including sterilization. CMS will not support services that violate this standard or place vulnerable children at risk."