Dr Oz Criticizes Gender Affirming Surgeries with Inaccurate Claims

Dr. Mehmet Oz, more commonly known as Dr. Oz, has recently found himself at center stage, stirring up controversy with his views on gender-affirming surgeries, especially those involving transgender youth. His comments on how these procedures affect healthcare costs have sparked a lot debate among advocates fighting tirelessly in support transgender rights.

Dr. Oz's stance and healthcare policy proposals

Back on December 18th, Dr. Oz, who holds an influential role in our current administration overseeing Medicaid and Medicare, rolled out a series healthcare policy changes alongside Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They're pushing a hard stance against gender-affirming care minors, claiming it aims at wiping out "taxpayer funding sex-rejecting procedures under Medicaid and CHIP [Children's Health Insurance Program]."

Their policy proposal outlines two key regulations that could significantly shift our healthcare system's structure. The first targets preventing federal Medicaid reimbursements hospitals and doctors offering gender-affirming care minors under 18. The second one cuts off all Medicaid and Medicare funding hospitals providing pediatric gender-affirming care.

Considering Medicaid's critical role in covering healthcare low-income folks, along with seniors and disabled individuals, these proposed changes stand jeopardizing essential access many people nationwide.

Dr. Oz's controversial cost claims

During their announcement, Kennedy labeled gender-affirming care as "malpractice." Yet, Dr. Oz's focus was squarely on how expensive he believes gender-affirming surgeries are, particularly bottom surgeries, catching significant scrutiny. He threw out numbers like a $60,000 price tag on vagnioplasty, and a whopping $150,000 estimated cost "the creation a penis," i.e., phalloplasty. He theorized these costs might be increasing because he thinks there might be "manufactured demand," mentioning additional expenses with procedures such as scrotalplasty.

Dr. Oz didn't back these numbers with any evidence. According Gender Confirmation Center, real costs vary quite a bit—vaginoplasty ranging $23,000 $24,500, and phalloplasty from $35,000 $50,000.

Research and experts push back Dr. Oz's statements

According a 2025 report by Williams Institute, about 1% those aged 13 and up in U.S. identify as transgender. Despite all this fuss over gender-affirming care, data shows surgeries really rarely occur minors. One 2024 study from Harvard T.H. Chan School Public Health found no gender-affirming surgeries were done transgender or gender-diverse youth aged 12 and under 2019, which was latest year they could get data.

For teenagers aged 15 17 and adults 18 up, rates gender-affirming surgery were 2.1 per 100,000 and 5.3 per 100,000, respectively. Most these procedures were chest surgeries, contrary what Dr. Oz highlighted.

Elizabeth Boskey, an instructor within Department Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-author Harvard study, explained, "We saw that these surgeries are not commonly performed on transgender minors, indicating U.S. surgeons are sticking closely international guidelines assessment and care."

Dannie Dai, lead author and research data analyst Department Health Policy and Management, remarked, "Our findings suggest legislation blocking gender-affirming care transgender youth isn't about child protection. It stems from bias and stigma against transgender and gender-diverse identities, addressing an issue that doesn't really exist."

These insights highlight urgency in combating misinformation and stigma dominating discussions around transgender healthcare, especially politics. It matters greatly that policy discussions draw from accurate data and experiences people affected these policies.

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