US federal workers challenge Trump policy on gender-affirming care

A group of federal government employees has filed a class action complaint against the Trump administration regarding a new policy that eliminates coverage for gender-affirming care within federal health insurance programs. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation filed the complaint on behalf of the employees, as the policy took effect on January 1st. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced in August that, beginning in 2026, “chemical and surgical modification of an individual's sex traits through medical interventions” would no longer be covered for federal employees and U.S. postal workers. The complaint asserts that the policy is discriminatory based on sex and requests its rescission, along with compensation for economic damages. If a resolution isn't reached with the OPM, the foundation intends to pursue claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and potentially file a class action lawsuit in federal court. This action follows a similar lawsuit filed by Democratic state attorneys general last month, aiming to block rules restricting children’s access to gender-affirming care, and aligns with broader efforts by the Trump administration to limit legal protections for transgender individuals. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also proposed rules to bar hospitals providing gender-affirming care to children from receiving Medicaid and Medicare funding.

(Source：Reuters)