The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has unveiled multiple proposed regulatory measures aimed at enforcing President Trump’s Executive Order instructing the agency to halt sex-rejecting procedures involving children.
According to HHS, such practices place minors at risk of permanent and irreversible harm.
The procedures in question involve medical or surgical treatments designed to modify a child’s physical traits to match an asserted identity that differs from their biological sex, as detailed in a statement published Thursday on the HHS website and obtained by our correspondent.
As part of the initiative, the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking that would prohibit hospitals from carrying out sex-rejecting procedures on individuals under 18 if they wish to remain eligible for Medicare and Medicaid participation.
HHS noted that almost all hospitals across the United States rely on these federal programmes, and the proposal seeks to prevent the government from engaging with institutions that cause lasting harm to children.
CMS is advancing the proposal under provisions of the Social Security Act—sections 1861(e)(9), 1871, and 1905(a)—which grant the agency authority to set safety and health standards for hospitals involved in Medicare and Medicaid.
In addition, CMS intends to introduce another proposed rule that would block federal Medicaid funding for sex-rejecting procedures on minors under 18, as well as restrict Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for individuals younger than 19.
At present, Medicaid coverage for these procedures is already unavailable in 27 states. HHS warned that such treatments—including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical interventions—may result in permanent consequences such as infertility, reduced sexual function, weakened bone density, disrupted brain development, and other long-term physical effects.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who signed a declaration informed by an HHS peer-reviewed report, said the procedures “do not meet professionally recognised standards of health care.”
He added that medical professionals who carry out sex-rejecting procedures on minors would be considered noncompliant with accepted standards.
“Under my leadership, and answering President Trump’s call to action, the federal government will do everything in its power to stop unsafe, irreversible practices that put our children at risk.
“This Administration will protect America’s most vulnerable. Our children deserve better—and we are delivering on that promise,” Secretary Kennedy said.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz also weighed in, stating, “Children deserve our protection, not experimental interventions performed on them, that carry life-altering risks with no reliable evidence of benefit.
“This proposal seeks to clarify that hospitals participating in our programs cannot conduct these unproven procedures on children. CMS will ensure that federal program standards reflect our responsibility to promote the health and safety of children.”
Separately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to 12 manufacturers and retailers accused of illegally marketing breast binders to children for gender dysphoria, items typically designed for medical purposes such as post-mastectomy care.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., said, “Illegal marketing of these products for children is alarming, and the FDA will take further enforcement action such as import alerts, seizures, and injunctions if it continues.”
HHS is also taking steps to overturn the Biden administration’s effort to classify gender dysphoria as a disability.
Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill said, “The Biden administration abused a law that was never intended to require health care providers or health programs to support transgender surgeries for minors.
“Our rule would restore regulatory clarity and ensure that organizations receiving federal funds can set evidence-based policies without fear of violating federal civil rights requirements.”
Assistant Secretary for Health and head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Admiral Brian Christine, M.D., added, “Children’s health and well-being guide our every move.
“Evidence shows sex-rejecting puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries are dangerous. Providers have an obligation to offer care grounded in evidence and to avoid interventions that expose young people to a lifetime of harm.”
HHS further disclosed that claims data indicate nearly 14,000 minors underwent sex-rejecting procedures between 2019 and 2023. The agency’s peer-reviewed study, Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices, outlines the medical risks associated with these treatments.
