NH trans teens ask federal judge to pause rule banning Medicaid-funded gender-affirming care

In August, the Trump administration issued a new rule: no Medicaid funding for most types of gender-affirming care for children. Now, a group of transgender New Hampshire girls are suing the federal government to reverse the change, and U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe is deciding whether to pause the rule during the yearslong legal battle the lawsuit is likely to entail. The rule came from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in August and took effect Oct. 13. The ban encompasses transition surgery and hormone blockers for those under 18. President Donald Trump and Republican Party leaders claim gender dysphoria isn’t real, a position at odds with most major medical organizations. During a hearing in Concord’s federal courthouse last month, attorneys from a coalition of nonprofits, including GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (commonly known as GLAD) and the ACLU of New Hampshire, pushed McAuliffe to grant a temporary injunction to pause the rule.

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