Trump Ends Medicaid Funds for Trans Children: Map of States Guarding Access
The Trump administration says the change is intended to protect children.
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration will stop using federal Medicaid funds to cover gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for young transgender patients. This decision comes as part of a broader effort by his administration to restrict the protections and services available to transgender minors.
The move follows other policies aimed at limiting transgender students' participation in school sports, and it reflects a national divide in how states handle access to such care. Trump's announcement comes in a Truth Social post, where he criticized the "barbaric surgeries and practices" and claimed the new rule would protect children.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stated that the policy will end federal Medicaid funding for gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies for minors, as well as for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covering those treatments for individuals under 19. The rule is set to take effect in October. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) policy tracker, as of May, 27 states have enacted laws or policies restricting youth access to gender-affirming care, leaving roughly half of transgender youth ages 13 to 17 residing in states with such restrictions.
States that generally protect access include parts of the West Coast and Northeast, such as California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and others. Some states have passed "shield" laws or policies to safeguard providers and patients seeking legal care. However, the Trump administration's action may still impact families in these states, as federal funding plays a significant role in state Medicaid programs, potentially creating new coverage barriers for lower-income families.
Legal challenges to restrictions on youth gender-affirming care continue across the country, with 18 states currently facing such battles. The Supreme Court's 2025 ruling in United States v. Skrmetti upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors, legitimizing state authority to maintain these restrictions, though it did not mandate such bans.
Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, support access to gender-affirming care based on clinical guidelines. Trump asserts the change aims to protect children from treatments he deems harmful, while health officials argue the decision follows scientific evidence and safeguards children's well-being.
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