by Staff Reporter | Dec 23, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The federal government will no longer subsidize transgender procedures for either adults or children.
On Thursday, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a declaration prohibiting gender transition procedures as valid treatments for addressing gender dysphoria.
“Sex-rejecting procedures for children and adolescents are neither safe nor effective as a treatment modality for gender dysphoria, gender incongruence, or other related disorders in minors, and therefore, fail to meet professional recognized standards of health care. For the purposes of this declaration, ‘sex-rejecting procedures’ means pharmaceutical or surgical interventions, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries such as mastectomies, vaginoplasties, and other procedures, that attempt to align an individual’s physical appearance or body with an asserted identity that differs from the individual’s sex.”
The declaration cited the HHS evidence review on pediatric gender dysphoria care published in May as justification for the cessation of funds. As part of this evidence review, HHS invited peer reviews from other major medical associations. Among those invited, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Endocrine Society declined to participate. However, the American Psychiatric Association and eight other peer reviewers submitted their own reviews, which HHS published along with their own responses last month.
Further justification for the declaration came from evidence reviews and consensus by other European nations: the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Brazil, and Australia.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will also be proposing new rules barring hospitals which participate in Medicare and Medicaid from performing gender transition procedures, and prohibiting Medicaid from paying for those procedures.
The FDA issued warnings to around a dozen manufacturers of breast binders to cease marketing to children for gender dysphoria. Noncompliance would result in enforcement actions, including product seizures.
HHS will also be reversing the Biden administration’s efforts to make gender dysphoria a protected class within the federal definition of “disability.”
In a press conference on the declaration, Kennedy said medical professionals supportive of transgenderism had “betrayed” their oath and “moral obligation” to do no harm.
“This is not medicine, it is malpractice. We’re done with junk science driven by ideological pursuits, not the well-being of children,” said Kennedy. “Sex-rejecting procedures rob children of their futures.”
One report cited by HHS estimated that 2023 revenue for gender-transitioning drugs and surgeries exceeded $4.4 billion, a figure which is on track to exceed $7 billion by 2030.
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said children were sold a “dishonest narrative” about gender transitions as healthcare.
“You know what you get when you mix politics and medicine? Politics. There is no medicine left,” said Oz.
53 percent of children are in Medicaid or CHIP programs.
Oz offered a non-comprehensive list of recurring health problems within gender transition patients: puberty blockers associated with reduced bone density, altered brain development, lifelong disrupted sexual dysfunction; cross-sex hormones associated with infertility, loss of sexual function, cardiovascular issues, and long-term endocrine problems; and gender transition surgeries associated with disfiguration, pain, and mental health troubles.
Oz pointed out the high costs of the gender transition surgeries, offering examples of a vaginoplasty ($60,000) and phalloplasty ($150,000).
HHS estimates these bans will result in $250 million in savings for the taxpayer.
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by Matthew Holloway | Jul 6, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona State Representative and U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major (ret.) John Gillette (R-LD30) offered a public rebuke of Attorney General Kris Mayes in a July 2nd post to X. Gillette offered a stern correction to Mayes after the Democrat AG announced a lawsuit against the federal government and accused the Trump administration of “violating privacy protections with its decision to share Medicaid data with DHS, which houses ICE.” Mayes claimed the administrative data sharing is an “illegal transfer of Arizonans’ private, personally identifiable health data.”
In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Mayes’ office wrote, “Arizonans accessing Medicaid services do so with the assurance that their data would be confidential. While administering AHCCCS and other healthcare programs, Arizona has relied on the federal government’s assurances that it will follow the law and protect confidentiality. It appears the federal government has broken their promise.”
In his post to X Gillette wrote, “Administrative data sharing with DHS, DOJ, HHS is lawful. The state agreed to the terms when they took the matching funds. 42 CFR 431 privacy act, every service member knows this is only protected from non govt use.” According to 42 CFR §431.300 the law “requires agencies to exchange information to verify the income and eligibility of applicants and beneficiaries.” It further defines under § 431.302 that “Purposes directly related to plan administration include—
(a) Establishing eligibility;
(b) Determining the amount of medical assistance;
(c) Providing services for beneficiaries; and
(d) Conducting or assisting an investigation, prosecution, or civil or criminal proceeding related to the administration of the plan.”
Under these terms, the sharing of information between the State of Arizona and the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Health and Human Services aren’t merely lawful, but are mandatory. Any extrajudicial attempts to disrupt this information sharing by Arizona would likely be grounds for the Federal government to similarly take legal action against Arizona at the taxpayers’ expense.
Strict limitations are also placed on the federal agencies requiring that they safeguard the information shared regarding program participants, provide “conditions for release and use of information about applicants and beneficiaries,” and restrict access to the information “to persons or agency representatives who are subject to standards of confidentiality that are comparable to those of the agency.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Garrett Riley | May 29, 2025 | Opinion
By Garrett Riley |
For decades, the rallying cry of “choice” has driven the abortion debate. Pro-abortion advocates paint it as a matter of personal liberty — a private decision between a woman and her doctor. But real choice demands full, honest information. And the latest evidence on chemical abortion reveals a disturbing truth that’s been hidden for too long.
A massive new study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, analyzing over 865,000 chemical abortions from 2017 to 2023, shows that 1 in 9 women who take the abortion pill suffer serious medical harm. That’s nearly 11% of women dealing with severe complications like hemorrhaging, sepsis, and infection — consequences that can lead to permanent damage, emergency surgeries, or even death. Another 5% need additional medical interventions, exposing the pill’s failure rate.
For anyone who claims to care about women’s well-being, these numbers demand immediate action. For the government agencies that regulate drugs and healthcare, they require urgent oversight. And for those who genuinely believe in the “pro-choice” principle, they demand a clear-eyed rethinking of what real, informed choice means.
Choice Without Truth Isn’t Choice
“Choice” means nothing without accurate information. The abortion pill has been spun as “safer than Tylenol,” but that’s a blatant lie. The FDA’s official label for mifepristone claims a serious adverse event rate of less than 0.5% — over 22 times lower than what the real-world data proves.
No one can make a good decision if key facts are hidden. In any other area of medicine, these numbers would trigger an immediate recall or at least a thorough review of safety guidelines.
When the FDA fast-tracked the abortion pill in the 1990s, it was with a promise: that safety standards would be rigorously upheld. Today, those standards in Arizona— like mandatory ultrasounds, in-person exams, and physician oversight — are being threatened and have been stripped away in other states by abortion-rights legislation.
The result? A pill once administered under a doctor’s care is now shipped through the mail, often with no medical oversight. No follow-up exams. No real informed consent. Women facing vulnerability—particularly those under the coercion of abusive partners—are exposed to severe risks affecting both their physical and mental well-being.
Pills That Kill: Medicine Turned Upside Down
Abortion advocates call the pill “medication abortion,” as if it heals. But real medicine heals. Chemical abortion does none of that. It destroys innocent unborn children and puts women’s health at risk.
Calling abortion “medicine” is a dangerous lie. True medicine doesn’t harm or kill. No one who truly believes in women’s health can honestly call this “medicine.”
The original “safe, legal, and rare” mantra has vanished. Chemical abortions now make up 63% of all abortions in the United States — and in some states, as high as 80%. Each pill dispensed means more danger for women — not less.
We’ve gone from “safe, legal, and rare” to “dangerous, deregulated, and widespread.” That’s a betrayal of women — and of the very idea of healthcare.
This Is About Women’s Health, Not Politics
This isn’t about partisan politics. It’s about whether women can truly make informed choices. It’s about whether agencies like the FDA and HHS will honor their mission to protect the public — or cave to ideological pressure.
If you believe in choice, you must also believe in full, honest information. Anything less isn’t choice — it’s propaganda.
If you believe in human rights, you must recognize every human life’s inherent worth — and the dignity of every mother’s health and future.
If you care about healthcare safety, you can’t ignore these numbers. You must demand a full review of the abortion pill’s safety — and an end to the lies that have kept women in the dark for far too long.
Read the full EPPC report here.
Arizona Life Coalition Stands with Women’s Health
The Arizona Life Coalition, along with more than 100 pro-life organizations, has urged the FDA to act on this alarming evidence and reinstate the safety standards that once protected women. You can read that letter here.
What Can We Do?
We must ensure that every woman facing a crisis pregnancy has support and the truth — not abortion industry spin.
Demand that the FDA and other agencies incorporate this evidence into their safety evaluations. Share this information with your family, friends, and public officials. Urge them to reinstate common-sense safety standards. Push for a full review of a pill that seriously injures 1 in 9 women.
Medicine is meant to heal — not to harm and kill. Any healthcare policy or practice that does otherwise has no place in a just society.
Garrett Riley is the executive director of the Arizona Life Coalition, with a mission of inspiring pro-life choices through charity, education, and unifying collaboration.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 14, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Navajo Nation’s Democrat President Buu Nygren met with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Council Delegate Germaine Simonson at Window Rock on Wednesday. The trio discussed the ongoing issue of access to critical healthcare on tribal land.
According to a press release issued via X, the meeting centered around “solutions rooted in sovereignty, tradition, and self-reliance.”
Kennedy, as part of his nationwide “Make America Healthy Again” tour, had previously met in Phoenix with members of the State legislature, and traveled to northern Arizona and the Navajo Nation to meet with tribal leaders including President Nygren, First Lady Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren, Speaker Crystalyne Curley, members of the 25th Navajo Nation Council, and officials from the Navajo Department of Health.
President Nygren noted in his remarks that much of the disparity and strain on the Navajo Nation healthcare system is linked to the Indian Health Services’ manpower shortage with the service currently running at a 30% vacancy rate.
Nygren emphasized that the solution must come in a way that protects the tribe’s sovereignty, however. “As President, I want to emphasize the importance of protecting and maintaining tribal sovereignty among food and healthcare for the Navajo Nation,” he said.
Answering these concerns, Kennedy expressed his support and provided a roadmap to addressing the tribal government’s concerns. “By lifting the IHS hiring freeze and rescinding the hundreds of employee terminations,” Secretary Kennedy said, “it will not happen.”
“Today we learned many things that HHS could be doing to improve the condition of Navajo health…” he added, with a focus on the need for secured water rights that will allow the Navajo to become self-sufficient once again.
In a post to X, Kennedy described his visit saying, “Today I had the pleasure to visit Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona. I joined Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and members of the Navajo Nation Council for a hike, followed by a traditional blessing and a performance of the Diné Tah Dancers.”
“We discussed Navajo Nation’s efforts to promote health and wellness within their community and how HHS can support these goals. My administration remains committed to making Indian Country a top priority.”
Buu, a Democrat, stressed in a statement that his recent trip to the White House and Kennedy’s trip to Window Rock represented an effort to work with the federal government in the Navajo Nation’s interests, regardless of partisan considerations.
He wrote,” I need our Navajo people to understand that no matter what our political party affiliation is, we must work with the federal administration – whoever is in office – to fight poverty on the Navajo Nation and to protect our interests. In the past two days, I have spoken to several federal officials to discuss the coal industry, our water rights settlements, RECA, the protection of the Indian Health Service, and social programs our people rely on. As a Nation, we must act like a Nation and work with the United States. We must work with the federal government based on our treaty and on a government-to-government basis.”
President Nygren was elected in 2022, defeating incumbent former-President Jonathan Nez by a narrow margin of less than six percent. The Navajo Nation leans heavily Democrat in most elections, however, 2024 exit polling suggested that support for the Trump administration has significantly increased with Native News Online citing polls showing President Trump received 51% of Native American votes in the presidential election.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by AZ Free News | Jun 10, 2021 | News
On Wednesday, Governor Doug Ducey fired off a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, expressing his “significant concerns” about the safety of unaccompanied minors crossing the southern border. Ducey noted that the children face considerable risks “because of insufficient federal oversight.”
In his letter, Ducey wrote: “The crisis at the southwest border is spilling into other areas of government beyond the United States Department of Homeland Security. The increasing number of unaccompanied minors is stressing the ability of the Office of Refugee Resettlement to respond appropriately, and jeopardizes both vulnerable Arizona children who have experienced abuse and neglect as well as migrant children.”
The letter strongly urges the administration to:
- Cease efforts to redirect licensed beds that are currently serving Arizona foster children;
- Review and adjust ORR’s practice of vetting host sponsors through virtual home visiting; and
- Reconsider and adjust ORR’s procurement practices for shelter beds that negatively influence the Arizona Department of Child Safety’s ability to serve foster children.
Ducey’s concerns mentioned in the letter include efforts by HHS to redirect service providers assisting American children who have been abused or neglected to migrant children. The state has lost space for foster youth to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) as a result of recent federal action.
Additionally, Ducey alleges that the vetting processes used by HHS is “insufficient,” including virtual home studies, “put vulnerable migrant children at risk of human and sex trafficking.”
“While we recognize the need of additional space to house unaccompanied minor children, the solution cannot be to try to obtain that space from providers that are essential for the state’s child welfare agency to care for Arizona’s abused and neglected children,” the Governor continued in the letter. “Unfortunately, this is the route the ORR has taken.”
ORR’s current grant making and contracting practices create an unfair advantage that directly negatively impacts vulnerable foster children. Additionally, the recent passing of the Families First Prevention Services Act means states will no longer receive a federal share of reimbursement for children residing in beds from ORR. This removal will impact Arizona’s budget by $25 million in State Fiscal Year 2022, and adds to the combined action that threatens to displace vulnerable American foster children from safe homes.
The Governor is urging the Secretary to immediately adjust HSS policies for the protection of foster children as well as migrant children.
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