Chicago – December 24, 2025
A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), along with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the agency’s inspector general, challenging a recent declaration that could limit access to gender-affirming care for minors.
The declaration, released last Thursday, classified treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical procedures as unsafe and ineffective for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria a condition where a person’s gender identity or expression differs from their sex assigned at birth. The guidance further warned that medical providers offering these services could be barred from federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
The announcement coincided with HHS revealing proposed new rules aimed at further restricting gender-affirming care for minors, although those regulations were not included in the lawsuit because they are not yet finalized.
Currently, Medicaid programs in just under half of U.S. states cover gender-affirming treatments, while at least 27 states have enacted bans or restrictions on this type of healthcare. The Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold Tennessee’s ban signals that many of these state-level restrictions are likely to remain in effect.
The lawsuit was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and joined by Democratic attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor also joined the effort.
The coalition argues that the declaration threatens patient access, undermines medical judgment, and imposes federal penalties on providers who follow established standards of care.
