On September 22, 2026, California’s Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) released a Request for Information seeking organizations that could administer new state grant programs for what the state calls “gender affirming care,” including services for children and youth.
The 2026–27 Budget Act put $66 million under HCAI across three pots: $30 million for an uncompensated-care program; $10 million for “Gender Affirming Care Services for Children and Youth,” covering medical and pharmacy services for Medi-Cal members under 18 and CHIP members under 19 that lose federal funding as of October 13, 2026; and $26 million for provider-network and capacity grants ($10 million in FY 2026–27, with later years subject to appropriation).
The RFI opened at 12:00 p.m. on September 22, 2026. Questions are due September 29, 2026. Responses are due October 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. The RFI’s questions ask respondents how they would operationalize pharmacy services “to promote maximum access to hormone therapy and puberty blocking medications used for gender affirming care.” HCAI’s program page also tells providers who already have surgery or puberty-blocker administration scheduled on or after October 13 for Medi-Cal patients under 18, or CHIP patients under 19, to email genderaffirmingcare@hcai.ca.gov about accessing state funding — and not to put identifiable patient information in that first message.
After CMS moved to end federal Medicaid and CHIP payment for sex-rejecting procedures on minors, California is standing up state-funded replacement pathways and asking vendors how to run them. This is a state appropriation and a vendor search. It is not a ban.
Primary sources
- HCAI Request for Information, Sept. 22, 2026
- HCAI program page, “Gender Affirming Care and Reproductive Health Programs”
Related: California governor signs $9 million for sex-rejecting procedures on children and CMS final rule ending federal Medicaid/CHIP funding.