(NewsNation) — Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have legally challenged Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s move to withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding from health care providers who offer gender-affirming treatments to minors.
The coalition of Democrat-leaning states filed a federal lawsuit this week in Eugene, Oregon, seeking to block a Dec. 18 “declaration” by Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services that rejects treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapies and surgeries for young people who experience gender dysphoria.
“This is not medicine, it is malpractice,” Kennedy said last week. “Sex-rejecting procedures rob children of their futures.”
The regulatory actions HHS is pursuing would cut off federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid to hospitals, clinics and doctors offering gender-affirming care to minors.
“HHS is putting care at risk and forcing families to choose between their personal health care choices and their doctor’s ability to practice,” Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a news release. “Healthcare decisions belong with families and their healthcare providers, not the government.”
Many U.S. medical organizations support transgender care and services for young people, but about half of state governments have imposed restrictions or bans. The administration of Republican President Donald Trump has sought to roll back protections for transgender people, including in the military.
The states filing suit against HHS have legislatures that are controlled by Democrats or Democratic governors, or both. Besides Oregon and the District of Columbia, the plaintiffs are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
In blasting gender-affirming care for minors, Kennedy cited an HHS report that suggests psychotherapy is the better option.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.