Protecting Minors in Federal Health Plans Act

This bill would stop federal employee health plans from covering gender-affirming care for anyone under 18. It defines gender-affirming care as treatments for gender dysphoria, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries meant to change gender. It makes several exceptions, such as care for certain medical conditions present at birth, emergency procedures not done for gender transition, treatment for complications from past procedures, male circumcision, and medicines used to treat early or delayed puberty when aligned with the child’s biological sex .

If a minor is already getting hormone therapy when the law takes effect, coverage can continue for up to one year, but only on a doctor-supervised plan that reduces and ends the treatment within that year. The changes apply to new or renewed federal employee health plan contracts on or after the law’s enactment date .

• Who is affected: People under 18 covered by federal employee health plans, and their families
• What changes: No coverage for gender-affirming treatments (puberty blockers, hormones, surgeries), with specific medical exceptions noted above
• Transition rule: Ongoing hormone therapy may be covered for up to 1 year under a doctor’s tapering plan
• Start date: Applies to plan contracts entered into or renewed on or after the law is enacted