Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-Texas) claims that Children's Health System of Texas and Dr. Jason Jarin were harming children by illegally "transitioning" them and defrauding Medicaid. In a press release, Paxton said that he will "use every legal tool available to ensure radical gender activists like Jarin face justice" for hurting children.
"This criminal extremist not only permanently harmed children, but he also then defrauded Medicaid and stuck Texas taxpayers with the bill for this insanity," said Paxton. "Experimental 'transition' procedures on minors are illegal, unethical, and will not be tolerated in Texas.""
According to Paxton, Children's Health and Jarin have for years billed Texas Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for gender interventions on children as young as 9 years old. Jarin is a division director at Children's Health, where he saw patients for gender interventions at the Dallas and Plano locations.
"Jarin is a pediatric gynecologist, but he regularly performs procedures and medicates both female and male patients with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones," the attorney general's office said.
Jonathan Covey, director of policy at Texas Values, told AFN that, if the allegations are true, this is outrageous. As Covey explained, it would mean a physician knowingly violated a clear statute (Senate Bill 14), continued prescribing prohibited drugs to minors after an effective date, and attempted to work around the law rather than comply.
"We helped back in 2023. I actually personally worked on it, and the purpose of that was to protect kids and that law took effect back in September of 2023," states Covey.
He informs that is was upheld by the Texas Supreme Court.
“What's happening here is an enforcement action alleging that, even after the law took effect, you have these certain providers that are continuing to prescribe these drugs, attempting to work around Medicaid restrictions, that kind of thing,” explains Covey. “I think that, when the legislature draws a clear line to protect minors, that's not a suggestion. It's a law, and we believe it should be enforced."
AFN reached out to Children's Health System of Texas for comment and received the following response:
“Our top priority is the health and well-being of the patients and families we serve. We comply with all applicable local, state, and federal health care laws. Due to ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to comment further at this time.”
