Summary
A group of 19 states and the District of Columbia have sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over a plan to stop Medicaid and Medicare payments for gender-affirming care for minors. The plan, announced by the department's secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., labels such care as unsafe and ineffective, prompting states to argue that this move is illegal and represents government overreach. The lawsuit, filed in Oregon, challenges the federal authority to regulate medical practices that states believe should be handled at the state level.
Key Facts
- On Tuesday, 19 states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the department's secretary, announced plans to halt funding for gender-affirming care for minors.
- The department aims to stop Medicaid and Medicare payments to hospitals providing this care.
- Kennedy's statement said such treatments are unsafe and ineffective for minors.
- The suing states argue the declaration is illegal and exceeds federal powers.
- The lawsuit says medical regulation should be a state responsibility, not a federal one.
- President Trump has voiced opposition to gender-affirming care for minors.
- The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon.
