REPORTER NOTE: What Minnesotans need to know about federal rule proposals targeting trans youth health care

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2025

CONTACT
Noah Parrish, Communications Director
[email protected]
651.432.0171

Today, the Trump administration proposed two new federal rules through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would dramatically restrict access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth. If finalized, these rules could endanger access to care across the country, even in states like Minnesota that protect trans people’s right to health care.

These proposals represent yet another politically motivated attack on transgender youth and their families — one that goes directly against our most basic principles of freedom and bodily autonomy. By weaponizing federal health funding, the administration is attempting to intimidate providers and force hospitals to choose between serving their patients or preserving federal eligibility.

Even before taking effect, these proposed rules are designed to have a chilling effect on care — sowing confusion, fear, and uncertainty among providers and patients alike. It is critical to clarify the following points:

These are proposed rules, not laws.
These proposed rules have not yet taken effect. Rulemaking is an administrative process that requires publication in the Federal Register, a public comment period, and finalization before any implementation. Any final rules will also be subject to court challenges. These suits could delay or prevent the rules from taking effect.

Gender-affirming care remains legal and protected in Minnesota.
These proposals do not immediately change existing laws or restrict access to care for transgender youth in Minnesota. Minnesota’s protections remain among the strongest in the nation. Families should continue to seek the care they need, and providers should continue offering medically necessary treatment.

Medical providers must not back down.
Gender-affirming care is safe, evidence-based, and backed by every major medical association, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. We urge providers not to let political interference disrupt the essential care they provide.

This is about government control, not health care.
These rules are political—not scientific—attempts to control bodies and medical decisions. They mirror decades of attacks on abortion access and contraception, using federal funding as leverage to deny people care.

Minnesota remains a refuge.
Minnesota law protects providers and families seeking or providing gender-affirming care, regardless of these federal efforts to curtail it. We urge state leaders to reaffirm those commitments and stand up boldly for the rights of trans youth.