The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it will implement a rule prohibiting federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program funding for gender-transition medical interventions for minors.

President Donald Trump directed Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz to end the use of federal dollars for gender-transition surgeries and hormones for those under 18. In a Truth Social post, Trump stated that the government “will NO LONGER fund gender transition surgeries and hormones for minors” and said the treatments result in “unthinkable and irreversible harm” to children’s bodies. He added that administration pressure over the past year and a half had already prompted dozens of hospitals to stop providing such care and predicted more would follow.

According to CMS, the decision followed a Department of Health and Human Services review of U.S. and international research. The agency said the review found significant evidence gaps, documented serious safety concerns, and concluded that the evidence supporting these interventions for children remains insufficient to justify federal taxpayer funding. The rule covers puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender-transition surgery. It does not restrict federal coverage of mental health services. Gender-transition surgeries remain rare among minors.

States may continue to use their own funds to cover the treatments if they choose. Twenty-seven states have already enacted restrictions on gender-transition procedures for minors. Major U.S. medical organizations have supported access to such care under clinical guidelines, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness has cited research linking access to improved mental health outcomes. The administration did not release the detailed evidence underlying its conclusions on Tuesday.

Trump linked the policy to the November midterm elections, contrasting the Republican position with that of Democrats and urging voters to remember the difference.