Overview
- The coalition filed suit in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon, naming HHS, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Inspector General Thomas March Bell as defendants.
- States seek to halt enforcement of the Dec. 18 declaration that deems puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries for minors unsafe and warns providers they could be excluded from Medicare and Medicaid.
- HHS also unveiled proposed rules to cut off Medicare and Medicaid participation for hospitals offering such care and to bar CHIP and Medicaid payments, with a 60‑day public comment period open through Feb. 17.
- The case is led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, with 19 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia participating and Pennsylvania’s governor joining.
- Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, contest HHS’s findings, and some providers have already scaled back youth services as the legal challenge proceeds.