Federal Employees File Complaint Over Removed Gender-Affirming Care Coverage

A group of federal employees has filed a legal complaint against the Trump administration following its decision to eliminate coverage for gender-affirming care in federal health insurance programs, a policy that took effect Thursday.

The Human Rights Campaign filed the complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of the employees, challenging an August announcement from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The new policy discontinues coverage for “chemical and surgical modification of an individual’s sex traits through medical interventions” in health insurance programs serving federal employees and U.S. Postal Service workers.

The complaint argues that denying such coverage constitutes sex-based discrimination and calls for the immediate rescission of the policy.

“This policy is not about cost or care — it is about driving transgender people and people with transgender spouses, children, and dependents out of the federal workforce,” said Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, in a statement.

Four current federal employees from the State Department, Health and Human Services, and the Postal Service provided testimonies in the complaint, each detailing how the policy change directly impacts them and their families. One particularly affected employee works for the Postal Service and has a daughter diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Medical professionals had recommended puberty blockers and potentially hormone replacement therapy for the child—treatments that will no longer be covered under the new OPM policy.

The employees filed the complaint not only for themselves but on behalf of what they describe as a “class of similarly situated federal employees” across the government workforce, suggesting the policy affects numerous federal workers and their families nationwide.

This restriction marks another step in the Trump administration’s broader effort to limit healthcare access for transgender Americans. In December, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposed additional policies that would block gender-affirming care to minors, including a measure preventing Medicare and Medicaid funds from reaching hospitals that provide such care to children.

The administration’s stance sharply contradicts recommendations from leading medical organizations. While senior Trump officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have characterized gender-affirming care for minors as “malpractice,” major medical authorities like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics support such treatments as legitimate medical care.

The policy change affects one of the nation’s largest employer-based health insurance programs. The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program serves approximately 8 million federal employees, retirees, and their families, making this policy shift significant in both its symbolic and practical impact on healthcare access.

Healthcare policy experts note that such coverage restrictions could have substantial consequences beyond just the federal workforce. Government health policies often influence private sector insurance standards and can shape broader healthcare accessibility patterns nationwide.

The timing of the complaint—filed on the same day the policy took effect—highlights the urgency felt by affected employees and advocacy organizations. Legal experts suggest the case could potentially set important precedents regarding discrimination protections for transgender individuals in employment benefits.

As the complaint makes its way through the EEOC process, it adds to growing tensions between LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations and the administration over healthcare access and workplace protections. The case represents one of several ongoing legal challenges to recent policy changes affecting transgender rights in healthcare, employment, and education.