Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services following a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young people.
Massachusetts was one of 19 states and Washington DC to sue the Trump Administration, alleging that HHS and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s claims that gender-affirming care is “unsafe and ineffective” are false. The suit also argues that Kennedy and the HHS cannot threaten to punish doctors and hospitals by excluding them from federal Medicare and Medicaid programs.
“Health care decisions should be made by patients, families, and their providers – not by politicians making false claims about the safety of care,” Campbell said in a statement. “This declaration unlawfully attempts to limit access to medically necessary and lifesaving care for trans youth and threatens access to health care for millions who rely on Medicaid. I will continue to fight back against illegal policies that harm our residents and violate their rights.”
The lawsuit alleges that HHS’s declaration seeks to coerce providers to stop providing gender-affirming care and circumvent legal requirements for policy changes. It says federal law requires the public to be given notice and an opportunity to comment before substantively changing health policy — neither of which, the suit says, was done before the declaration was issued.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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