On Aug. 11, the Trump administration published a final rule prohibiting the coverage of puberty-pausing medications, hormone therapy, or surgeries with federal Medicaid funds for people under 18, and with Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funds for people under 19.
Trans youth and LGBTQ+ communities have faced numerous attacks at both the state and federal levels just this year. Here’s what you need to know about the new ruling—and what you can do to support LGBTQ+ rights and access to life-saving healthcare.
About the ruling
The ruling puts trans youth and those seeking gender-affirming care at greater risk. For trans and nonbinary youth, access to this care can have a profound impact on their mental health and well-being. Timely gender-affirming care is associated with 60% lower odds of depression and 73% lower odds of self-harm or suicidal ideation among transgender and nonbinary youth ages 12–30
The rule provides a 6-month “tapering” period for transgender youth patients currently receiving hormone therapy. This tapering period does not apply to puberty-delaying medications.
It’s important to note that the rule does NOT:
- Prohibit these services from being covered with state-only Medicaid funds, private insurance, or other sources of funding.
- Prohibit the use of federal funding for supportive mental health care.
- Impact medicaid funding for people aged 18 and older.
The rule will go into effect on Oct. 13, 2026, though legal challenges are likely.
What you can do:
- Sign the petition with Equality Michigan “to demand that Michigan’s hospitals meet the moment and resume care immediately,” as The University of Michigan and Corewell Health both discontinued gender-affirming care for minors last year following pressure from the Trump administration.
- Join the network of groups and organizations advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and communities, such as Equality Michigan, Stand With Trans, and The Trevor Project. Find a list of additional local and state Transgender and LGBTQ+ Support Organizations in Michigan here. Stay engaged by signing up for updates or volunteer opportunities, or by donating.
- Vote for lawmakers supporting LGBTQ+ rights in the Nov. 3 election. Equality Michigan Action Network works to elect pro-equality candidates to office; find the list of endorsed candidates here.
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