The US Medicaid programme will stop funding gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for minors from 13 October, in a major rollback of healthcare access for transgender youth. President Donald Trump announced the change on Truth Social on Tuesday evening, directing Medicaid administrator Mehmet Oz to implement the policy.
The coverage cut also extends to the Children's Health Insurance Program, with a gradual phase-out for existing patients beginning in April 2027. Gender-specific care for those under 18 was already restricted in at least 27 US states.
The decision drew sharp criticism from advocacy groups. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, accused the Trump administration of terrorising transgender youth and their families. During his second term, Trump has curtailed transgender rights through executive orders, including defining sex as an immutable biological classification and banning transgender military service.