By Asemota comfort
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has unveiled proposed regulatory measures aimed at enforcing President Donald Trump’s executive order to halt what the agency describes as sex-rejecting medical procedures on minors.
According to HHS, the proposed actions are designed to prevent medical interventions that could expose children to permanent and irreversible harm. The department defines these procedures as pharmaceutical or surgical treatments intended to alter a child’s physical characteristics to match an asserted gender identity different from their biological sex.
As part of the initiative, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking that would prohibit hospitals from performing such procedures on individuals under the age of 18 as a condition for participation in federal Medicare and Medicaid programs.
HHS noted that nearly all hospitals in the United States rely on Medicare and Medicaid funding. The proposed rule, the agency said, would ensure that federal resources are not used to support practices that may result in lasting harm to children.
CMS cited its authority under sections 1861(e)(9), 1871, and 1905(a) of the Social Security Act, which empower the agency to establish patient safety and health standards for hospitals participating in federal healthcare programs.
In addition, CMS intends to propose a rule barring Medicaid funding for these procedures on individuals under 18, as well as restricting Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for beneficiaries under the age of 19.
HHS reported that 27 states currently do not provide Medicaid coverage for such interventions. The department warned that treatments including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures may lead to irreversible consequences such as infertility, reduced sexual function, decreased bone density, altered brain development, and other long-term health effects.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who signed a declaration based on an HHS peer-reviewed report, stated that the procedures fail to meet “professionally recognized standards of health care.” He added that healthcare providers who perform them on minors would be considered out of compliance with those standards.
“Under my leadership, and in response to President Trump’s directive, the federal government will take every possible step to stop unsafe and irreversible practices that place children at risk,” Kennedy said. “This administration is committed to protecting the most vulnerable Americans.”
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that children should not be subjected to medical interventions he described as experimental and potentially life-altering. He said the proposed rules would clarify that hospitals participating in federal healthcare programs are prohibited from performing such procedures on minors.
“CMS has a responsibility to ensure that program standards prioritize the health and safety of children,” Oz said.
