Gender-Affirming Care for Minors: Recent Executive Order

Trucker Huss

On January 28, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM CHEMICAL AND SURGICAL MUTILATION.”  The Order applies to certain gender transition services for children under the age of 19.  It states that the federal government “will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

For most employers, we do not believe the Order requires any immediate action involving their health plans.  However, the Order has practical implications that should be considered.

The following will be discussed:

• Scope of gender-affirming care that appears to apply under the Order
• Possible impact on employer-sponsored health plans
• Practical implications of the Order on employer-sponsored health plans
• Impact of the Order on a plan’s network of providers and possible design alternatives
• Recent lawsuits

More Information, How to Register