The Trump administration has pushed two new proposed rules that will have detrimental impacts on the healthcare access for the transgender community in the United States. We must act now and submit comments opposing these changes to the Department of Health before the Feb. 17 deadline. Scroll down for instructions on how to submit a comment and make your voice heard.
Medicaid and CHIP funding restrictions: This proposed rule would prevent federal funds from being used to pay for transition-related health care for youth covered by a state’s Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but states may still use their own non-federal funds to cover the costs for those treatments.
Hospital conditions of participation rule: This proposed rule seeks to require hospitals to cease providing transition-related care to individuals younger than 18 to maintain their federal Medicaid funding.
These rules are an aggressive use of executive power to curtail access to health care that the Trump administration dislikes. Finalizing these rules as they currently stand will lead to a chilling effect for providers of transgender healthcare and a further reduction in access to this care across the country. The proposed rules could lead to hospitals and providers stopping care of trans youth to maintain their federal funding and forcing families to pay for this care out of pocket. The proposed rules will also decrease health care access for trans people, a population that already faces barriers in affordability and insurance coverage.
Stand up for the trans community, and submit comments directly to the Federal Register to oppose these rules by Feb. 17. This system requires unique submissions so we are providing steps to submit your own personalized comment below:
Sample opening for your comment
My name is [Your Name], and I have a deep connection to transgender healthcare through my work and personal experiences. I strongly oppose the proposed rule because restricting access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth is harmful and discriminatory. These decisions should be made by families and medical professionals, not the government. Limiting care will lead to negative health outcomes, including increased mental health risks, and takes away the rights of patients and providers to choose what is best for transgender youth. [Include your reasons why you care and include real-life information.]
How to submit a comment directly to the Federal Register
- Visit the webpage for both proposed rules on the Federal Register.
- Click on the green “Submit a Public Comment” button beneath the rule title.
- Type your comment.
- Enter your email address, if you choose to provide it (you can opt out of giving your email).
- Select whether you are an individual, organization (comment will be public) or anonymous (comment will not be public).
- Submit your comment.
Tips on format and outline for comments
- Introduction: Introduce yourself and your connection to transgender health care. You can include things such as your profession or personal experiences.
- State your position on the proposed rule: It is important to clearly state that you do not support the proposed rule and do not want the government to restrict access to medical care for transgender youth.
- Explain why you care: This is your chance to talk about why preventing access to transgender health care is discriminatory and will lead to negative health outcomes for transgender youth. The federal government is taking away the rights of families, patients, and providers to make the best health care choices for transgender youth.
- Include unique, real-life information: You can share personal stories about the importance of having access to health care or about how transition-related care has affected your life or the life of someone you know. Use caution when sharing easily identifiable information, such as your full name or home address, in your public comment since the comments are viewable by everyone who visits the Federal Register.
Some topics you can discuss
- What has it meant for you or your family to receive the health care needed to live safely and authentically?
- What kinds of barriers you have already encountered regarding transgender health care and what would happen if that care was harder to access.
- Information about the negative impacts of limiting access to health care for trans youth, especially through the types of policies proposed in these rules.
Submit your personalized comments on the proposed rules
Hospital Conditions of Participation Proposed Rule
Medicaid & CHIP Funding Restriction Proposed Rule
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