States Challenge HHS Over New Rules on Gender Procedures for Minors
A coalition of 19 Democrat-led states, accompanied by the District of Columbia, has taken legal action against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The lawsuit contests new regulatory measures that may prevent hospitals involved in Medicare and Medicaid from conducting sex-change operations on minors.
Leading this charge, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday her role in spearheading the lawsuit against HHS officials. The complaint was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Eugene Division.
James criticized HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s authority, stating, “[HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] cannot unilaterally change medical standards by posting a document online, and no one should lose access to medically necessary health care because their federal government tried to interfere in decisions that belong in doctors’ offices.” She emphasized the personal impact of these measures, highlighting “young people who need care, parents trying to support their children, and doctors who are simply following the best medical evidence available.”
The dispute centers around Kennedy’s recent announcement of rules aimed at excluding federal Medicare and Medicaid support for facilities that perform cosmetic sex change operations or provide hormonal treatments to gender dysphoric minors. Kennedy’s declaration asserts that “sex-rejecting treatments on children do not meet professionally recognized standards of health care.”
The declaration specifically refers to “sex-rejecting procedures” such as “pharmaceutical or surgical interventions, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries like mastectomies and vaginoplasties,” which attempt to align physical appearance with an identity different from one’s sex.
HHS argues these procedures pose risks of “irreversible damage, including infertility, impaired sexual function, diminished bone density, altered brain development, and other irreversible physiological effects,” as detailed in their official statement.
Shortly before this announcement, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aiming to prohibit gender transition procedures for minors. Although the bill faces challenges in the Senate, 27 states have already implemented similar restrictions.
The lawsuit claims the new HHS rules “exceed the Secretary’s authority” and violate statutes such as the Administrative Procedure Act and Medicare and Medicaid laws. The complaint reads, “At minimum, Secretary Kennedy and HHS cannot circumvent statutorily mandated notice and comment requirements by changing substantive legal standards by executive fiat.”
Kennedy’s declaration, “Safety, Effectiveness, and Professional Standards of Care for Sex-Rejecting Procedures on Children and Adolescents,” argues against the safety and efficacy of such surgeries for minors, stating that “current medical evidence does not support a favorable risk/benefit profile” for these treatments.
HHS had previously published a detailed report, “Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices,” warning of significant risks including infertility, sexual dysfunction, and other serious health issues.
Internationally, several European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Norway, are reassessing their approaches to treating minors with gender dysphoria. The U.K.’s National Health Service, for instance, temporarily halted appointments for minors under 18 following a report by Dr. Hilary Cass, which highlighted the lack of long-term evidence on the outcomes of such interventions.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
