Attorney General Anthony Brown Joins States Suing Over Trans Youth Medicaid Rule

State of MD - Maryland is joining a large group of states in a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The fight is over a new rule that would stop Medicaid from paying for gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

Attorney General Anthony Brown announced Maryland's involvement this week. He joined attorneys general from 21 other states and the District of Columbia, along with the governor of Pennsylvania, in filing the lawsuit.

The rule in question came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It would block federal Medicaid funds from covering gender-affirming care for Medicaid patients under 18 and CHIP patients under 19. The same care would still be covered for non-transgender youth.

HHS first proposed the rule in December 2025. HHS finalized the rule earlier this month and it is now set to take effect on October 13, 2026.

The lawsuit argues that states have had the power to decide what their Medicaid programs cover since the 1960s. It says federal agencies do not have the authority to override medical decisions made by doctors and state Medicaid agencies.

"Every young Marylander deserves medical care recommended by their healthcare provider, not dictated by politics," Brown said. "We are taking action today to defend the health and dignity of transgender youth and the providers who care for them."

The complaint claims the rule breaks several federal and state laws. It also argues the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

This is not the first time Brown has taken action on this issue. He has joined past efforts to protect healthcare providers who treat transgender youth, fought to keep gender-affirming care listed under the Affordable Care Act, and opposed other federal rules aimed at cutting funding from hospitals that treat transgender minors.

The states joining Maryland in the lawsuit are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, along with the District of Columbia and the governor of Pennsylvania.

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