Proposed federal rules from the Trump administration could force hospitals in Washington and Oregon to abandon gender-related medical treatments for minors or risk losing billions in federal funding.
The policy, announced this week by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., [photo above] would cut off Medicare and Medicaid dollars to hospitals that continue offering puberty blockers, hormone therapies, or related interventions for minors. The move comes as so-called gender-affirming care has come under heightened scrutiny for providing therapy that can do more harm than good. The United Kingdom previously all-but banned puberty blockers for children.
According to the New York Times, Medicare and Medicaid together account for about 45 percent of hospital spending nationwide, making compliance less a policy choice than a financial necessity. Hospitals in the Pacific Northwest are especially vulnerable since the states promote so-called gender-affirming care for minors, regardless of how it can harm children.
