CMS is investigating an unspecified number of hospitals nationwide that offer gender-confirming care to children, the agency said May 28.
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, sent a letter to “select hospitals” May 28, outlining concerns regarding quality standards and profits tied to treatments including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and sex trait modification surgeries for minors.
“These are irreversible, high-risk procedures being conducted on vulnerable children, often at taxpayer expense,” said Dr. Oz said in a May 28 news release. “Hospitals accepting federal funds are expected to meet rigorous quality standards and uphold the highest level of stewardship when it comes to public resources — we will not turn a blind eye to procedures that lack a solid foundation of evidence and may result in lifelong harm.”
CMS is requesting hospitals respond within 30 days, providing details on how they obtain informed consent for pediatric patients, updates to clinical guidelines, documentation requirements for adverse outcomes and financial information, including facility- and provider-level revenue and profits.
The CMS investigation marks the latest in a series of federal actions related to gender-affirming care for minors. Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restrict federal funding and support for such treatments, though the measure is currently blocked by court challenges. In April, CMS also instructed state Medicaid agencies to not cover hormone therapies or gender-affirming surgery for children, citing “a lack of reliable evidence on long-term benefits.”
These actions come as numerous medical associations — including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association — have affirmed the medical necessity of treatments for gender dysphoria and opposed policies that exclude insurance coverage for gender-affirming care.
