Trump’s Medicaid cuts are already hurting trans teens, New Hampshire families tell judge

Four transgender girls and their families in New Hampshire are asking a federal judge to pause a Trump administration rule that cuts federal Medicaid funding for most gender-affirming treatments for minors while their legal challenge proceeds.The families argue that the federal government lacks the authority to impose the restriction. Their lawsuit is before U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe.Four families filed the lawsuit against the federal government on October 1, arguing that the administration cannot use Medicaid restrictions to deny coverage for treatments doctors have determined are medically necessary.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the rule in August, and it went into effect October 13. It prohibits federal Medicaid funding for certain treatments for patients under 18, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender confirmation surgeries. The families’ challenge concerns access to medications.Related: Trump is targeting their daughters’ medical care. Four New Hampshire families are taking his HHS to courtAt an October 30 hearing in Concord, attorneys representing the girls urged McAuliffe to issue a preliminary injunction, arguing that the policy is already harming their clients and could cause lasting damage, the New Hampshire Bulletin reported.The legal team includes representatives from GLAD Law and the ACLU of New Hampshire.One of the transgender plaintiffs, identified in court filings by the pseudonym Kylie Koe, is already experiencing the consequences of being unable to access puberty blockers, GLAD Law attorney Chris Erchull told the judge. Without the medication, changes associated with puberty are beginning to affect how her classmates perceive her, creating difficulties at school, Erchull said.“Most of Kylie’s classmates only know her as a girl,” he told the court.He stressed that puberty blockers cannot reverse physical changes that have already occurred. That makes timely access critical for the young