For Immediate Release:
August 12, 2026
For More Information Contact:
connect@acpeds.org
Pediatricians Applaud HHS for Ending Medicaid Funding for Sex-Rejecting Procedures on Children
ACPeds has warned for more than a decade about the risks of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors
Atlanta, GA — The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) applauds the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for finalizing a rule ending federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for sex-rejecting procedures on children and adolescents.
The new policy prohibits federal Medicaid and CHIP funding for specified pharmaceutical and surgical interventions intended to alter a child’s physical characteristics to resemble those of the opposite sex, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries. Mental health services for children struggling with their sex will remain eligible for coverage.
Dr. Michelle Cretella, Co-Chair of the ACPeds Adolescent Health Council released the following statement:
“ACPeds applauds CMS and HHS for announcing that Medicaid will no longer pay for sex-rejecting procedures including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and cross-sex surgeries. For over a decade, ACPeds has warned that these procedures can result in irreversible damage to children and adolescents, including infertility, impaired sexual function, diminished bone density, altered brain development, and other lasting harms.”
Dr. Jill Simons, Executive Director of ACPeds added:
“Children experiencing distress about their sex deserve compassionate, evidence-based care that addresses underlying psychological and emotional needs rather than placing them on a path toward medical interventions that can cause irreversible harm. Taxpayer-funded health programs created to protect vulnerable children should not finance procedures that can permanently alter healthy bodies and jeopardize a child’s future fertility and sexual function. This action by HHS and CMS represents an important step toward restoring medicine’s fundamental obligation to protect children from harm.”
For more information produced by ACPeds, please visit BiologicalIntegrity.org, a reliable medical resource on the topic of gender dysphoria for parents, teens, physicians, schools, and policymakers.
To arrange an interview with Dr. Cretella or Dr. Simons, please email connect@acpeds.org.
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About the American College of Pediatricians
The American College of Pediatricians is a national organization of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children.
For more information, please visit acpeds.org.
