Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford has joined a multistate coalition in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The lawsuit challenges a final rule from the Trump Administration that could make it more difficult for Americans to obtain healthcare under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
According to estimates by the Trump Administration, the rule may lead to up to 1.8 million people losing their health insurance. It could also result in increased premiums and out-of-pocket costs for millions more.
The rule excludes gender-affirming care as an essential health benefit under the ACA. The attorneys general argue that this rule is arbitrary, capricious, contrary to law, and violates the Administrative Procedure Act. They are seeking preliminary relief and a stay to prevent parts of the rule from taking effect before its August 25 effective date.
“This administration’s rule would roll back years of progress in expanding healthcare access and threaten coverage for more than 100,000 Nevadans,” said AG Ford. “As attorney general I will not stand by while the Trump administration carries out these arbitrary barriers to deny our residents the affordable healthcare they depend on.”
The ACA was enacted in 2010 to increase health insurance coverage among Americans and reduce healthcare costs. In plan year 2025, over 24 million people signed up for coverage through ACA exchanges, including many in Plaintiff States.
With open enrollment for plan year 2026 approaching, the new rule threatens to reverse recent trends by creating barriers that could leave up to 1.8 million people uninsured and increase state healthcare costs.
Nevada achieved record enrollment with 110,000 enrollees this year. The HHS final rule introduces changes such as bureaucratic barriers, automatic charges on certain consumers, shortened enrollment periods, and other measures likely to increase uninsured rates.
The attorneys general argue that these changes are unlawful and harmful to states and residents. They claim it imposes costly paperwork requirements, limits sign-up opportunities, increases cost-sharing limits, and requires significant spending by exchanges and consumers.
Attorney General Ford joined colleagues from California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont Washington Wisconsin along with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in filing this lawsuit.
