Judge rules US government overreached with transgender health care declaration [View all]

Source: abc news




A federal judge has ruled that the government overreached when it declared certain types of gender-affirming care unsafe for young people

March 19, 2026, 11:22 PM



PORTLAND, Ore. -- A federal judge said the government overreached by issuing a declaration that called treatments like puberty blockers and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for young people experiencing gender dysphoria, according to a ruling Thursday in Oregon.

Judge Mustafa Kasubhai's ruling was centered on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. not going through the proper administrative procedures when issuing the declaration in December. The declaration also warned doctors that they could be excluded from federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid if they provide these treatments.

The judge also denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss the case.

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“Today’s win breaks through the noise and gives some needed clarity to patients, families, and providers,” the Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the lawsuit, said in a statement Thursday. “Health care services for transgender young people remain legal, and the federal government cannot intimidate or punish the providers who offer them.”........................

Read more: https://abcnews.com/Health/wireStory/judge-rules-us-government-overreached-transgender-health-care-131242834