Transgender Health Archives - ��ýҕ�l Health News

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

A Headless CDC

Episode 439

March 26, 2026

The Trump administration faces the challenge of naming a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who can both satisfy the Make America Healthy Again movement and get confirmed by the Senate. Meanwhile, a new Senate bill to rescind the approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is again elevating the abortion debate, which some Republicans would prefer to stay on the back burner until after the midterms. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss the news. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown University Law Center’s Katie Keith about the state of the Affordable Care Act on its 16th anniversary.

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What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

Culture Wars Take Center Stage

Episode 429

Jan. 15, 2026

With lawmakers still mired over renewing enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, much of Washington has turned to culture war issues. Meanwhile, “confusion” remains the watchword at HHS as personnel and funding decisions continue to be made and unmade with little notice. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” report.

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A photo of the front of a research building. A sign on the front reads, "National Cancer Institute."

Trump Rules Force Cancer Registries To ‘Erase’ Trans Patients From Public Health Data

In 2026, U.S. cancer registries that receive federal funding will be required by the Trump administration to classify patients’ sex as only male, female, or not stated/unknown.

By Rachana Pradhan

Dec. 11, 2025

A black and white photograph from 1988 shows Rafeeuddin Ahmed, Chairman of the UN Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, speaking at the opening ceremony. On the right is Mrs. M Perez de Cuellar, wife of the UN Secretary-General.

This HIV Expert Refused To Censor Data, Then Quit the CDC

HIV physician John Weiser talks about why complying with President Donald Trump’s orders to erase transgender people is bad for science and society. And he notes that acquiescing didn’t spare the CDC from further harm.

By Amy Maxmen

Dec. 10, 2025

A photo of a sign outside the National Cancer Institute's campus in Rockville, Maryland.

US Cancer Registries, Constrained by Trump Policies, To Recognize Only ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ Patients

Under Trump policies, cancer registries in 2026 will have to classify sex data strictly as male, female, or unknown, a change scientists and advocates say will harm the health of one of the nation’s most marginalized populations.

By Rachana Pradhan

Nov. 21, 2025

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

The Government Is Open

Episode 422

Nov. 13, 2025

The record-long federal shutdown is over after a small group of Democrats agreed to a deal with most Republicans that funds the government through January — but, notably, does not extend more generous Affordable Care Act tax credits. Plus, new details are emerging about how the Trump administration is using the Medicaid program to advance its policy goals. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Appleby, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.

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A photo of Gov. Gavin Newsom at a news conference with an American flag behind him.

After Chiding Democrats on Transgender Politics, Newsom Vetoes a Key Health Measure

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have expanded access to hormone therapy, a top priority for the trans community. Advocates say it would have ensured continuity in gender-affirming care amid Trump administration attacks. Analysts say it’s another sign of the Democrat’s move to the center.

By Christine Mai-Duc

Oct. 17, 2025

A photo of a health technician running a blood test.

As the Trump Administration and States Push Health Data Sharing, Familiar Challenges Surface

Despite billions of tax dollars and two decades of effort invested in improving health care data sharing, Americans’ medical records often remain siloed, leading to duplicate testing, increased costs, and wasted time for patients and doctors.

By Sarah Kwon

Sept. 23, 2025

A photo of a young man in silhouette. He is looking at his phone.

The National Suicide Hotline For LGBTQ+ Youth Shut Down. States Are Scrambling To Help.

LGBTQ+ youth lost dedicated support on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in July at a critical time. Advocates say mental health issues are rising in that population amid hostility from the Trump administration.

By Annie Sciacca

Aug. 19, 2025

Tribal Groups Assert Sovereignty as Feds Crack Down on Gender-Affirming Care

Native American groups declare that tribal sovereignty trumps state and federal efforts to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for two-spirit and LGBTQ+ tribal citizens. Tribes are analyzing the risk of opposing Trump’s policies, advocates say.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

July 30, 2025

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

Here Come the ACA Premium Hikes

Episode 407

July 24, 2025

Medicaid may have monopolized Washington’s attention lately, but big changes are coming to the Affordable Care Act as well. Meanwhile, Americans are learning more about what’s in Trump’s big budget law, and polls suggest many don’t like what they see. Julie Appleby of ��ýҕ�l Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews historian Jonathan Oberlander to mark Medicare’s 60th anniversary.

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A photo of a teenager sitting in the frame of a doorway backlit by a room filled with daylight.

The Foster Care System Has a Suicide Problem. Federal Cuts Threaten To Slow Fixes.

Children and young adults in the U.S. foster care system suffer from mental health disorders and die by suicide at far higher rates than the general population, yet the system doesn’t uniformly screen and treat children who are at risk.

By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock

July 11, 2025

An outside view of the University of Michigan Hospital, a tan building with a large M on the outside

Feds Investigate Hospitals Over Religious Exemptions From Gender-Affirming Care

Federal health officials are investigating claims that a Michigan health system fired an employee who sought a religious exemption to avoid calling transgender patients by their pronouns or referring them for gender-affirming care. Legal experts say the investigation escalates the Trump administration’s effort to curb medical care for transgender patients.

By Kate Wells, Michigan Public

July 1, 2025

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

Supreme Court Upholds Bans on Gender-Affirming Care

Episode 402

June 20, 2025

The Supreme Court this week said Tennessee may continue to enforce its law banning most types of gender-affirming care for minors. The ruling is likely to greenlight similar laws in two dozen states. And the Senate is preparing to vote on a budget reconciliation bill that includes even deeper Medicaid cuts than the House version. Victoria Knight of Axios, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

Bill With Billions in Health Program Cuts Passes House

Episode 398

May 23, 2025

The House narrowly passed a budget reconciliation bill, including billions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy along with billions of dollars in cuts to health program spending. But the Senate is expected to make major changes to the measure before it can go to President Donald Trump for his signature. This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of ��ýҕ�l Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.

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Street view of signage outside Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago

A Chicago Hospital Bows to Federal Pressure on Trans Care for Teens

In the wake of an executive order by President Donald Trump opposing gender-affirming surgeries for minors, hospitals are pausing procedures — even those already scheduled. Families fear the eventual loss of all gender-affirming care for their transgender kids.

By Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ Chicago

April 24, 2025

An illustration drawn with pencil and gently colored digitally shows a child with white hair reaching out to touch their finger to a butterfly cocoon that is hanging from a branch in front of them. On their left, there is a caterpillar that has yet to undergo metamorphosis. On the right of the cocoon, and covering half of the child's face, a butterfly emerges in the colors of the transgender flag.

Families of Transgender Youth No Longer View Colorado as a Haven for Gender-Affirming Care

Colorado was long considered a haven for gender-affirming care. But under this Trump administration, hospitals in the state have limited the treatments available for people under 19. Some services have been restored, but trans youth and their families say the state isn’t the rock they thought it was.

By Rae Ellen Bichell

April 14, 2025

A portrait of a middle-aged woman with straight brown hair wearing a black-and-white checkered jacket.

Her Case Changed Trans Care in Prison. Now Trump Aims To Reverse Course.

President Donald Trump ordered a halt to gender-affirming medical care for transgender prisoners in federal custody, and to housing trans women in female prisons. The new policies raise alarms for a formerly incarcerated trans woman. She said the order denies lifesaving medical care and creates a road map for rape.

By Bram Sable-Smith

March 18, 2025

A photo of the California Capitol in Sacramento.

Progressives Seek Health Privacy Protections in California, But Newsom Could Balk

Democratic state lawmakers in California have proposed bills to protect women, transgender people, and immigrants in response to concerns that their health data could be used against them. If the measures reach his desk, Gov. Gavin Newsom could lay such legislation aside to focus on securing federal funds.

By Vanessa G. Sánchez

March 14, 2025

Trump Froze Out Project 2025 in His Campaign. Now Its Blueprint Is His Health Care Playbook.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump distanced himself from the conservative governing plan after Democratic attacks. But now it’s increasingly viewed as a blueprint for his administration’s plans for federal health programs.

By Stephanie Armour

Feb. 24, 2025

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