Dr. Oz was recently confirmed by the Senate and has joined the Trump administration to lead the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
According to recent analysis, between 2019 and 2023, the total submitted charges for child sex-change surgeries in the United States amounted to $108,516,134. A total of $18,476,978 of these charges were submitted to Medicaid, including traditional and managed Medicaid.
There was a total of $119,791,202 submitted for sex-change procedures on minors, including surgeries and medications, between the same years according to the analysis.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is urging states against using Medicaid funds for transgender medical interventions for minors. Almost half of the states do not legally prohibit children from undergoing a gender transition.
Oz said, “As a doctor and now [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] Administrator, my top priority is protecting children and upholding the law.”
Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican of Missouri, had questioned Oz on his past support for child gender transitions at his hearing before the Senate.
Oz answered the senator’s questions by saying his views have changed and are in alignment with the Trump administration’s outlook on gender procedures for minors. On January 28th, shortly after taking office for his second term, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal support for child gender transitions.
Senator Hawley said in a recent interview, “I’m glad to see that Dr. Oz is upholding his commitment to protect children from the radical transgender agenda. Our tax dollars should be used to protect Medicaid and Medicare, not the mutilation of our children.”
Oz said, “Medicaid dollars are not to be used for gender reassignment surgeries or hormone treatments in minors – procedures that can cause permanent, irreversible harm, including sterilization. We have a duty to ensure medical care is lawful, necessary, and truly in the best interests of patients.”
The CMS sent a letter to state Medicaid agencies on Friday notifying them of their responsibility to make sure program payments are “consistent with quality of care”.
At least ten states, including Kentucky, Arizona, Idaho, Missouri, Florida, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas have introduced legislation to prohibit Medicaid coverage of gender transitions for adults and minors.
