Federal Government Moves to Ban Gender-Affirming Care for Youth

December 18, 2025

The Trump administration announced several measures on December 18 to ban gender-affirming care for youth.  

A proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) would “prohibit hospitals from performing sex-rejecting procedures on children” if they want to continue to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs.  

CMS is currently gathering comments on the proposed rule.  

In related action, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., signed a declaration, based on an HHS peer-reviewed report, finding that these “sex-rejecting procedures” do not meet professionally recognized standards of health care. 

Furthermore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing warning letters to 12 manufacturers and retailers for illegal marketing of breast binders to children for the purposes of treating gender dysphoria.  

In 2024, the MMA adopted policy on gender-affirming care as follows: 

“Consistent with the prevailing evidence-based standards of care, the MMA recognizes that minors can be diagnosed with gender dysphoria/incongruence and that, under specific clinical guidelines, it is appropriate for these minors to receive certain types of gender-affirming healthcare.  

“The MMA affirms that healthcare professionals should encourage and facilitate increased familial understanding and support of minors’ gender identities and gender-affirming healthcare needs unless familial involvement is harmful to the minor or not feasible.  

“The MMA understands that, in some cases, parents and guardians will remain steadfast in their disapproval of their child’s gender identity and gender-affirming healthcare needs. The MMA urges professionals who provide gender-affirming healthcare to exercise caution with respect to applicable laws on minor consent. To facilitate this caution, and to empower physicians to care for minor patients to the maximum legal extent, the MMA will educate its members on minor consent laws as it relates to gender-affirming healthcare.” 

The MMA is working to further review the proposed federal actions and will share additional details with members.