# What This Bill Does

This bill would prevent the federal government from paying for or helping to pay for gender transition procedures through several major health programs. It also removes tax deductions people might otherwise claim for these medical expenses.

Specifically, the bill blocks federal funding through Medicare (the program for seniors and some disabled people), Medicaid (the program for low-income individuals), and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It also changes the tax code so people can no longer deduct gender transition procedure costs as medical expenses on their taxes. Additionally, the bill excludes these procedures from what's considered "essential health benefits" under the Affordable Care Act, which could affect what private insurance plans are required to cover.

The bill defines gender transition procedures broadly to include hormone treatments, puberty-blocking medications, and various surgical procedures. However, it includes several exceptions. It doesn't apply to people born with disorders of sex development (conditions where reproductive anatomy is ambiguous or atypical), treatments for infections or injuries caused by previous procedures, emergency procedures to prevent death or serious harm, or procedures to reverse previous gender transition surgeries. It also carves out puberty-blocking drugs used to treat precocious puberty (early puberty) and male circumcision.

The practical effect would be that people relying on government health programs would need to pay out-of-pocket for these procedures, and people using private insurance might find these services aren't covered if their plan follows the new rules. People who currently claim these expenses as tax deductions would no longer be able to do so.