New Mexico to continue funding gender-affirming care for minors after federal cuts
Trump administration finalized rule to end Medicaid support for care including hormones and speech therapy New Mexico will continue funding gender-affirming care for minors after a federal rule ending Medicaid support for such care goes into effect. On 13 August, the Trump administration finalized a rule – set to go into effect on 13 October – that will end funding for gender-affirming care…
The Trump administration finalized a rule on 13 August to end Medicaid support for gender-affirming care, including hormones and speech therapy, which is set to take effect on 13 October. New Mexico will continue to fund these services using state funds, according to Timothy Fowler, a spokesperson for the state's Health Care Authority.
New Mexico's Health Care Affordability Fund, established in 2021, will cover the costs of expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits for residents who purchase insurance on the state marketplace. The state has the second-highest percentage of residents enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, with 41.4% of the population covered. New Mexico's Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Freedom Act of 2023 has attracted transgender youth from neighboring states with disappearing protections.
The Williams Institute estimates that 4,800 transgender teens between the ages of 13 and 17 reside in New Mexico. Gender-affirming care encompasses medical, social, and psychological services, such as puberty blockers, hormones, speech therapy, body hair removal, and counseling. Major medical organizations consider this care medically necessary and lifesaving. New Jersey recently enacted a shield law to protect access to gender-affirming care.
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