Dr. Oz: Medicaid won't pay for gender-affirming care
Dr. Oz: Medicaid won't pay for gender-affirming care CMS leader Dr. Mehmet Oz said Medicaid won't pay for gender reassignment operations or hormone treatments for minors.
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Dr. Oz to lead Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
The Senate confirmed Dr. Oz 53-45, along party lines, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
CMS will no longer use Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care for minors.
This decision aligns with a previous executive order by President Trump.
Gender-affirming surgeries are more common among young adults than minors, according to a 2023 study.
The federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid has told states not to use Medicaid funding to pay for gender-affirming care for minors.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the newly confirmed administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the federal agency will stop paying for gender reassignment operations or hormone treatments for those under 18.
In a a statement, Oz said his "top priority is protecting children" and upholding the law.
"Medicaid dollars are not to be used for gender reassignment surgeries or hormone treatments in minors – procedures that can cause permanent, irreversible harm, including sterilization," Oz said.
The federal agency must ensure medical care is "lawful, necessary, and truly in the best interest of patients," Oz said. "CMS will not support services that violate this standard or place vulnerable children at risk."
On April 11, CMS sent a letter to state Medicaid directors informing them of the agency's decision. The letter, signed by Deputy Administrator Drew Snyder, said states are obligated to ensure care is delivered in "a manner consistent with the best interest of beneficiaries."
Oz was confirmed by the Senate on April 3 to oversee the federal agency in a largely, party-line vote. Before his confirmation, Sen. Josh Hawley questioned Oz, a former television host, about segments he had aired that seemed to support transgender care and abortion rights.
In a social media post, Hawley, a Missouri Republican, said he decided to back Oz's nomination after Oz switched his stance on those issues.
Gender-affirming care rare most common among young adults
A 2023 study in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found gender-affirming surgeries were most popular with young adults.
More than 25,000 people ages 19 to 30 received these procedures from 2016 through 2019. Fewer than 8% of patients − a total of 3,678 − were 12- to 18-year-olds. Lawmakers, mainly in conservative states, are pursuing restrictions against these procedures.
About 1 in 4 people who underwent gender-affirming care were covered by Medicaid, the study found.
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating the U.S. would not "fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support" gender-affirming care.
The executive order states doctors are 'maiming and sterilizing' children and using 'chemical and surgical mutilation' tools. Several U.S. professional medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have supported gender-affirming care policies.
State laws targeting transgender people made trans and nonbinary people aged 13 to 24 more likely to attempt suicide in the past year, according to a survey conducted by the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization.
In his statement, Oz said gender-affirming care can cost up to $134,000 and he said other nations are "rethinking these types of interventions."
"Like them, we believe psychotherapy, not life-altering drugs, or surgery, should be the first line of treatment," Oz said. "This isn't about politics or stigma. It's about protecting people from decisions they may not fully understand, and consequences they can't undo."
Adrianna Rodriguez contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Republicans, some Democrats and even ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich weigh in on ex-Speaker Michael Madigan's sentence
In what's become somewhat customary once an Illinois political titan falls, leaders throughout the state responded with condemnation and called for reforms upon hearing Friday that ex-Speaker Michael Madigan was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison and fined $2.5 million on federal corruption charges. House Republican leader Tony McCombie of Savanna and Senate Republican leader John Curran of Downers Grove called for bipartisan ethics reforms in the wake of the sentencing, with Curran specifically requesting committee hearings and votes on potential changes — something that didn't happen this session. Madigan's sentencing was 'a stark and shameful reminder of the corruption that has plagued Illinois government for far too long,' McCombie said in a statement. 'Justice was served — but the damage to public trust runs deep.' But Illinois' last prominent statewide politician who went to federal prison, former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, held back on the chance to take a swipe at a bitter nemesis when Madigan was sentenced. Though the two were Democrats, they feuded for nearly all six years Blagojevich was in office between 2003 and 2009. 'When that guy, Madigan, was on the top of the mountain, they were all kissing his ass,' Blagojevich said. 'Now they're going to be stomping all over his grave. And it's really, it's really sort of an unappealing side of human nature.' Blagojevich said Madigan's conviction underscores the systemic problems in politics and government in the state Capitol. 'Is the system in Springfield corrupt, in many ways, absolutely,' Blagojevich said in an interview with the Tribune while insisting he didn't break the law. 'It's a system, I've been saying this from the beginning, it all too often works for itself on the backs of the people.' Blagojevich — whose 14-year federal prison sentence for corruption was commuted by President Donald Trump, who ultimately also pardoned Blagojevich — didn't want to celebrate Madigan's prison sentence despite the two's often-tense relationship. 'I just don't think it's right for me to kick a man when he's down,' Blagojevich said. 'What's happening now to him, I know what it's like. And it's really easy for these politicians to get on their high horses and start kicking someone, stomping on someone.' Senate President Don Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park who is facing a potential fine of nearly $10 million from the Illinois State Board of Elections for improper political fundraising, said Friday's sentence represented 'a solemn reminder' that the duty of public office holders is to serve 'and that there is accountability for those who do not.'
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Two immigrants came here legally. They were detained anyway, sparking Spokane's mass ICE protest
Jun. 13—It took almost no time for two immigrants to become part of Shelly O'Quinn's family. She was on the cusp of becoming one of their "sponsors" to guide them in the United States as part of the U.S.' asylum program. By all accounts, everything was going right. The two would spend their days working at the Airway Heights Walmart, check in with immigration and make it to every court hearing. It all changed on Wednesday when they received a notice to check in with immigration. But instead of a check-in, the two were picked up by federal authorities. "They are such good young men," O'Quinn said. "They did all of it legally. And they have such a heartbreaking story." O'Quinn, a former Republican Spokane County commissioner, met 21-year-old Cesar Alexander Alvarez Perez and 28-year-old Joswar Slater Rodriguez Torres last year at a church event after they escaped persecution in Venezuela. The two refugees met in Colombia and began the trek to Mexico, but their journey was largely traumatic, O'Quinn said — they were sleeping on roads, were robbed at gunpoint and threatened with machetes. "They got jobs in Mexico. They went to the border every day and applied to get into the U.S.," O'Quinn said. "They finally were accepted and came here legally, in the humanitarian parole program." They both qualified for asylum and were following the legal court process, O'Quinn said. Alvarez Perez qualified for the juvenile asylum process because he came to the U.S. younger than 21. They even had a court hearing scheduled for October, and it left O'Quinn optimistic about where things were headed. In Minneapolis on a work trip, she was stunned when she got the call that chaos had broke out on the streets of Spokane because the men were detained by ICE. Alvarez Perez's sponsor, former city council president Ben Stuckart, had taken the two to their check-in when authorities detained them instead. Stuckart posted a call to action on Facebook, which led residents to swarm the ICE office off West Cataldo Avenue in North Spokane. The protest erupted throughout the evening, with a group of people attempting to stop unmarked law enforcement vehicles from leaving. Federal agents pushed back, sending some protesters' belongings falling to the ground. Others crowded a bus to prevent it from leaving and were ultimately arrested for obstruction and failure to disperse, one of them being Stuckart. While more faced off with police and deputies, law enforcement began throwing canisters of smoke and pepper balls to disperse the crowd. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown then issued a 9:30 p.m. curfew, calling the decision "the best path forward" for everyone to stay safe. Stuckart eventually posted bail, but he has yet to hear from Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres, he said. O'Quinn, fearing the worst, flew to Seattle on Thursday and plans to attempt a visit with the two transported to Tacoma's immigration detention center. "If I can't see them, the next step is figuring out how I can ... Imagine if your kids were in a detention center with no contacts. It's a scary place," O'Quinn said. "I just imagine the fear they are feeling, and I want them to know someone cares for them." The legal way, no longer Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres came to the United States through a legal program known as the Venezuelan Humanitarian Parole Program, or the "CHNV" program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. It allows for immigrants facing persecution to legally live and work in the U.S. "under parole." President Donald Trump attempted to terminate the program earlier this year, but a Massachusetts judge issued an injunction to pause the action. On May 30, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the injunction, giving Trump free reign to end the parole program and continue mass immigrant deportations, something he has vowed to do since the start of his presidency. The crackdown on immigration has led ICE to detain people all across the country. On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice to the thousands of immigrants taking part in the program that their legal status has since been terminated, according to reporting from CNN. "This notice informs you that your parole is now terminated. If you do not leave, you may be subject to enforcement actions, including but not limited to detention and removal, without an opportunity to make personal arrangements and return to your country in an orderly manner," the notice says. It's unclear whether Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres received a parole termination notice, O'Quinn said. Either way, she expected it wouldn't affect them because they had another pathway into the U.S. by asylum — but now, even their asylum status is murky. Alvarez-Perez also celebrated his birthday just this week, consequently aging him out of the juvenile asylum program he was part of. "We are a county that allows for due process. I believe they should have the right to due process. They did what they were supposed to do," O'Quinn said. "We are not a country that should be picking up people are who legally here without due process. It's a violation of our rights in the United States." The Supreme Court decision allowing for deportation of those on humanitarian parole is "brutal on its face," according to Spokane civil rights attorney Jeffry Finer. Normally, an injunction would give time for litigation while also preventing undue harm where there is no reasonable remedy, he said, like tearing down a historical building. "There's no way to bring back the building. You can't fix it or reverse it," Finer said. "So if it's going to have irreparable damages, an injunction is the way to litigate the merit and keep the status quo so nobody is harmed if the lawsuit is successful." The dissenting Supreme Court opinion states the court botched the way it protects people during ongoing litigation. Finer said his interpretation of it shows "the risk to the government is small" but "the risk to immigrants is huge" — because once they're deported, there likely won't be a push to bring them back. And there's no telling if the two will be deported, because the jail is "a black hole" of information, Stuckart said. Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres were so desperate to flee, they walked for weeks to find freedom from persecution and remained here with no criminal record, Stuckart added, which tells him no one is exempt from deportations. Immigrants with minor or no criminal records are still being detained across the U.S. despite Trump saying he wants to crack down on immigrants with violent backgrounds. "They don't have years to wait. Once they did get here, these two gentlemen got legal work permits and were working full time and contributing to society with taxes," he said. "I don't know what the difference is between someone who comes in at one point or another point. Take politics out of it. This goes beyond a political lens." Past the politics O'Quinn's family refers to Rodriguez Torres as "Randy," a name he picked himself, because people had trouble pronouncing his name. It's hard for her to look at news reports and court records identifying him as "Joswar," she said. A picture of the two taken at the Barton English School, both smiling ear to ear, is "the smiles they always have on their face," O'Quinn wrote in a text. "I want him to come home," she said Thursday. "Both of them." While Stuckart is a Democrat and O'Quinn was a Republican commissioner, the urge to bring back the men spans the political divide. Stuckart has made contact with Sen. Maria Cantwell's office, and O'Quinn said she reached out to Rep. Michael Baumgartner for help, and he responded promptly by having his staff track information for her on how she could find where the men were taken. "He's actually been very supportive," she said, "And I appreciate that." Baumgartner released a statement Thursday about the protests applauding law enforcement's response and encouraging people to work with federal officials to enforce immigration laws. "We need both secure borders and immigration reform," the statement reads. "Peaceful protest is guaranteed under the Constitution, but there is no excuse for violence or impeding law enforcement officials." His office has not responded for further comment. The stories of Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres deserve to be told, because "they have demonstrated their American values of hard work and integrity," O'Quinn said — they shouldn't become political pawns in a battle with red or blue. Both Republicans and Democrats have vouched for the men, Stuckart said later, calling them "the people you want in our country." Both agree the men did everything they're told to do as immigrants: apply to come into the country legally, get a job and pay taxes. It's the reason O'Quinn believes their detainment doesn't reflect the values of Spokane. "I am grateful for the people who stood up for their rights yesterday," she said. "It tells them that it wasn't Spokane that kicked them out." Editor's note — this story was corrected to reflect the men were not refugees under the U.S. Government but were rather seeking asylum.
Miami Herald
39 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
SNAP user's testimony causes backlash, cruel feedback
After President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed the House, it introduced new fears for millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to survive. The bill proposed an estimated $300 billion in cuts to SNAP over the next decade. If that portion of the bill passes the Senate as it is currently written, it would leave 12.6% of Americans potentially unable to afford shelter and food. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter The way it currently works is that states would begin to pay at least 5% of food benefit costs, and up to 25% if they have higher error rates, forcing states to choose between raising taxes, cutting other programs, or limiting SNAP access, per the Food Research & Access Center. Related: Scott Galloway sends bold statement on Social Security, US economy Republican senators pushed back hard on the cuts, leading to June 10 reports that the SNAP changes were being scaled down. The reworked plan cuts the state penalty for error from 25% to 15%, but Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) told Politico that they are "still negotiating." Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota took to social media on June 11 to share a video she surely thought would be of help to advocate for keeping SNAP intact. But her efforts have backfired. The video Klobuchar shared is of a SNAP recipient named Felecia talking about her experience as a mother of four living on SNAP benefits. Klobuchar said, "Today, we heard from Felecia, a single mom of four who works up to three jobs at a time to make ends meet. She counts on SNAP to help put food on the table. This is who Republicans in Congress are trying to take food away from. Listen to her story." In the video, Felecia says, "I would like to tell you my story on how SNAP benefit has helped me," becoming visibly emotional. "When I had my oldest daughter 21 years ago, I was working three jobs," Felecia said. "One job alone, I had to pay childcare. Another one to pay food, which wasn't enough. And one to pay the bills, and I still struggled alive." Related: Social Security income tax deduction hits major roadblock Felecia went on to say that she now has a full-time job as a bus monitor, but she only gets paid once a month, which is why she still needs SNAP. "By the time I get my bills paid, I have nothing left to pay for food and other basic needs. If it wasn't for SNAP benefits, I wouldn't be able to feed my children," she said. The comments on the video exploded, causing it to rake in 75,000 views and make the terms "SNAP" and "Felecia" go viral on X. But instead of garnering empathy, it achieved the opposite effect. People in the thread savagely attacked the mother of four, mostly with comments about her weight. "I'm not saying take her SNAP benefits, but what I'm saying is she doesn't need as much as she's getting," X user currermell said. "Either she's eating it all and her kids are already going hungry, or the handouts meant to sustain her life are having the opposite effect." Related: Walmart issues urgent message about the alarming cost of food "Do you know how many calories it takes to look like her? She's doing fine," X user Rafester said. Some opted to attack Felecia's relationship choices instead of her weight, saying, "Why does she have 4 children and no husband? Life choices matter. Sorry but 4 unplanned pregnancies and no partner present is absolute nonsense," X user fictitiousfruit said. A few rare voices in the thread abstained from insults. "Not a single person wants SNAP taken away from Felecia. Every single person wants SNAP revoked for people who aren't trying or aren't contributing to the country they take advantage of," user Zac DiSalvo said. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
