REGULATORY · COMPETITIVE · USA
Federal judge rules government overreached in transgender health-care declaration
Change
A federal judge in Oregon ruled that the U.S. government overreached when it issued a December declaration labeling puberty blockers and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for young people with gender dysphoria.
Why it matters
The judge found that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not follow required administrative procedures when issuing the December declaration. The declaration warned that doctors who provide treatments such as puberty blockers and surgeries could be excluded from federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The judge denied the defendants' motion to dismiss after a roughly six-hour hearing. A written decision will follow the ruling.
Implications
- · The court will continue to adjudicate the legality of the December declaration because the motion to dismiss was denied.
- · Health-care providers named or implicated by the declaration face ongoing legal uncertainty about the declaration's warnings regarding Medicare and Medicaid participation.
- · The government's administrative process for issuing the declaration is subject to judicial scrutiny.
Who is affected
- · Health-care providers treating transgender youth
- · Medicare and Medicaid program administrators
- · Federal regulatory and policy officials who issue administrative declarations
- · Legal teams for plaintiffs and defendants
What to watch
- · Judge's forthcoming written decision
Source
Topics
Law & Public Safety Court Rulings Regulatory Actions Health & Medicine Healthcare Systems