Pentagon ends healthcare for transgender service members

The Pentagon is halting care, such as hormone therapy and surgeries, for transgender members of the military as part of a broader plan by President Donald Trump to remove soldiers with gender dysphoria from active duty roles, Reuters claims in an exclusive report. 

In an internal memo, Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, ordered the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to implement the new rules immediately. 

"I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance," Ferrara wrote in the short guidance obtained by journalists. 

Reuters said it was directed by the Pentagon to send any questions pertaining to the order to the Defense Health Agency, but the outlet received no response. 

Last week, Reuters reported on a memo showing that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued instructions that transgender troops were to either voluntarily leave or be removed from their posts starting on June 6. 

This new memo appears to be a follow-up on Hegseth’s instructions. 

According to official government statistics, there are 4,240 U.S. active-duty and National Guard soldiers with gender dysphoria, all of whom will be impacted by both orders. 

As reported by HealthExec, in March the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it would stop providing gender-affirming care to former military personnel, ending coverage for hormone therapy. The agency said it never covered surgical interventions, thus no new ban was imposed. 

However, when issuing its guidance, the VA said the change would only impact new enrollees. Those already receiving care would continue to have it covered. It’s unclear if these new directives at the DOD will impact that policy. 

For more, read the full coverage from Reuters at the link below.