Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is reviewing proposed federal regulations that would block all Medicaid funding to hospitals that provide gender affirming care to minors.
"Cincinnati Children’s is dedicated to providing evidence-based, individualized care to all patients while adhering to the law," a spokesperson said in a statement to WVXU. "We are examining the proposed new federal regulations and their potential impact on our health system."
The spokesperson also pointed to comments from the Children's Hospital Association opposing the proposed rules.
"Federal government regulations should not get in the way of parents and families accessing care, and providers must be free to provide medically necessary care without the threat of criminal charges or penalties," said the association's CEO Matthew Cook in a statement. "Imposing conditions of participation within Medicaid that seek to limit what kinds of medically necessary care can be provided to children sets a dangerous precedent for our children’s health ... We urge Congress and the Administration to protect children's access to care."
Cincinnati Children's currently is not prescribing hormones to minors because of state law.
HB 68 was first passed in 2023, but Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed it. State lawmakers overrode the veto in 2024, but a lawsuit from ACLU Ohio successfully halted the law's ban on gender-affirming care for minors from going into effect until earlier this year. The Ohio Supreme Court decided in April to reverse a lower court's block while an appeal is pending.
The law, known as the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act, also includes a ban on trans athletes playing girls' sports, but that's already in effect and is not affected by the lawsuit.
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