Washington joins coalition challenging federal attack on gender-affirming healthcare for youth

Washington joins coalition challenging federal attack on gender-affirming healthcare for youth FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sep 2 2026 atgAshleyGross Wed, 09/02/2026 - 13:32 The federal administration is unlawfully attempting to block states from using federal Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care for low-income minors and some young adults, according to allegations in a new lawsuit filed by Washington, 20 other states, and the District of Columbia today. The coalition argues that since the creation of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the 1960s, Congress has always granted states the authority to determine which services would be covered under their Medicaid and CHIP programs, subject only to limits set by statute. The coalition asserts that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are now acting without statutory authority or a reasoned basis to second-guess state Medicaid agencies’ reliance on individualized medical necessity and treatment decisions made by healthcare providers. Instead, based solely on CMS’s unilateral decision-making, the agencies are categorically excluding medicall