Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has filed a lawsuit against the federal government challenging a proposal that would restrict gender-affirming health care for minors by linking those restrictions to federal funding. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene, includes 18 other Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C.
The case targets a proposal announced by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that would bar hospitals from participating in Medicare and Medicaid if they provide certain gender-affirming treatments to children and teenagers, including puberty blockers or surgical procedures. Under the proposal, hospitals could lose access to the federal programs entirely, even if only part of their care involves such treatments.
Oregon law requires commercial insurers, public employee health plans, and the state’s Medicaid program to cover gender-affirming care, including for minors. Other states involved in the lawsuit have similar requirements. The states argue the federal proposal would conflict with those laws and place significant financial strain on hospitals, since Medicare and Medicaid patients account for a large share of hospital care.
The lawsuit also argues the federal government bypassed standard procedures by introducing the proposal without consulting states, doctors, or patients. The states are asking a judge to block the policy from taking effect.
Get the full story as reported by The Oregonian Dec. 24, 2025: “Lawsuit over the federal effort to ban gender affirming care for minors” by Julia Shumway.