California legislators discuss federal rule changes for gender-affirming care

California legislators talked to The Center Square on Thursday about the impacts of new federal rule changes to taxpayer dollars paying for gender-affirming care for transgender youth.The comments follow the Aug. 11 announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that the federally-funded agency would end Medicaid payments nationwide for gender-affirming care for transgender children and teens through the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which is managed by the agency.
Effectively, that means federal taxpayer money will not go to pay for medical procedures and services such as puberty blockers and surgeries for children.
“I find it to be incredibly cruel and regressive that people that are seeking doctor-supported, medically-necessary healthcare are having that ripped away from them, especially low-income Californians that need it the most,” Assemblymember Christopher Ward, D-San Diego and chair of the Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus, told The Center Square on Thursday. “You’re going to have a disparity on who gets access and who doesn’t get access to the same quality of care that they need for themselves.”
In a press release from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announcing the decision, the agency justified its decision by citing research that showed there were evidence gaps and safety concerns relating to gender-affirming care for transgender children. The rule change will allow for a six-month tapering-off period for children undergoing hormone therapy as part of their gender transition and does not affect mental health services provided to transgender youth.
The rule will take effect on Oct. 13.
According to a study of gender-affirming care procedures in the United Kingdom, medical researchers in Europe recommended caution when prescribing puberty blockers for those under age 18, with references to a Swedish and Finnish study that showed uncertainty for how strong the evidence was for gender-affirming care.
Some lawmakers say that the new rules imposed by the federal government are the right decision.
“It should not be on the government to fund this position,” Assemblymember David Tangipa, R-Fresno, told The Center Square on Thursday. “I agree with the rule when it comes to not using federal funds and tax dollars.”
Elective surgeries that don’t have anything to do with children’s health and safety should not be paid for by American taxpayers, Tangipa said.
“The state should trust the science,” Tangipa said. “The state should look at what has happened in other countries that have failed to realize that children cannot make this decision for themselves.”
Representatives from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, as well as California hospitals and clinics that provide gender-affirming care to transgender patients, did not respond to The Center Square before publication time.

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