Trans Youth Will Not Be Erased.

To every transgender young person and family in Vermont: we see what is happening. We know this moment is frightening and uncertain. And we want you to know that you are not alone.

We are deeply concerned about the new federal rule restricting the use of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funds for gender-affirming care for transgender young people.

Medicaid is a lifeline for many of Vermont’s young people and families. For a lot of families, it is what makes it possible to get the health care the young people in their lives need. Taking that support away from medically necessary care puts an additional burden on families who are already navigating a complicated health care system.

But before anything else, we want every queer and trans young person in Vermont to hear this clearly: this rule does not change who you are. It does not make you any less beautiful, worthy, or deserving of love and care. You are exactly who you are meant to be.

And to the adults who love and support young people: they need to know that you have their backs. Tell them. Show them. Remind them that they are loved, that they belong, and that they don't have to face this moment alone.

What this rule means

The new rule prohibits federal Medicaid funds from being used to provide certain gender-affirming medical care to transgender youth under 18, and prohibits federal CHIP funds from being used for this care for young people under 19. This includes puberty-pausing medications, hormone therapy, and surgeries.

It is important to understand what the rule does not do. 

It does not make providing gender-affirming care illegal. These services may still be covered through state-only Medicaid funds, private insurance, or other sources of funding. The rule also does not prevent federal funding from being used for supportive mental health care.

For young people who are already receiving hormone therapy through Medicaid or CHIP, the rule includes a six-month transition period. That transition period does not apply to puberty-delaying medications.

The rule is scheduled to take effect on October 13, 2026, unless it is blocked or otherwise changed through legal or administrative action. What this means for Vermont

Vermont has strong protections for gender-affirming health care, and state law requires Medicaid and other state-administered public health programs to cover medically necessary and clinically appropriate gender-affirming care, subject to federal requirements.

The immediate question for Vermont is how our state will respond to the loss of federal Medicaid funding. 

We urge Vermont leaders to use every available tool - including state-only funding - to ensure that no young person loses access to medically necessary care because of this federal rule.

We believe Vermont should use every available tool to make sure that no young person loses access to medically necessary care because the federal government has decided to target transgender youth.

That includes exploring state-only funding and other avenues to protect continuity of care.

We also ask health care providers, hospitals, and health systems to continue showing up for transgender young people and their families. Every young person deserves to walk into a doctor's office knowing they will be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

At the heart of this issue is something simple: 

 Medical decisions should be made by families and their doctors, not politicians.

Gender-affirming care is grounded in established clinical practice and supported by leading medical and mental health organizations. Families of transgender youth deserve the same freedom as every other parent to sit down with their child's doctor, ask questions, weigh the options, and make thoughtful decisions about their child's health.

This moment should be a wake-up call for Vermont.

We need our state leaders to stand between Vermont's young people and the federal government's attacks - not allow those attacks to become barriers to care here at home.

We will continue working with our partners to understand exactly how this rule will affect Vermont families, what protections are available, and what additional action Vermont must take to preserve access to care.

To the trans young people who are watching all of this unfold:

You are not a political issue. You are a person. You are worthy of care. You are worthy of joy. You are worthy of a future.

We will continue standing alongside you, your families, and the health care providers who care for you.

You belong here. And we will keep working to make sure Vermont remains a place where you can grow up safe, supported, and fully yourself.