Florida Targets Medical School Accreditors in Higher-Ed Overhaul

State leaders question accreditation standards on gender-affirming care, raising concerns over access to federal funding

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Florida is expanding its campaign against college accreditors, this time targeting medical schools and questioning the Liaison Committee on Medical Education's standards on gender-affirming care for minors. The move could have implications for the state's access to billions of dollars in federal student aid, as accreditation is required for medical schools and their graduates.

Why it matters

The accreditation fight is part of a broader effort by Florida Republicans to reduce the influence of what they view as ideologically-driven accrediting bodies. This latest move targeting medical schools could disrupt the pipeline for future doctors in the state and limit access to federal funding for higher education.

The details

In a scathing letter, the State University System's Board of Governors Chairman Alan Levine demanded answers from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education about whether its standards are being properly enforced at medical schools that provide gender-affirming care for minors. Levine questioned the 'value of the current accreditation process' and why accrediting agencies did not intervene if treatments were offered without clear evidence of benefit. The letter comes as Florida enforces a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and works to build its own alternative regional accreditor, the Commission for Public Higher Education.

  • On February 12, 2026, Levine sent the letter to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.

The players

Alan Levine

The chairman of the State University System's Board of Governors, who previously served as the top medical official in Florida and Louisiana.

Liaison Committee on Medical Education

The accrediting body for eight Florida medical schools, including the University of Florida, Florida International University, and the University of Miami.

Ron DeSantis

The governor of Florida, who has branded college accreditors as 'woke accreditation cartels'.

Commission for Public Higher Education

A new 'ideology-free' accreditor that Florida is working with other Republican-led states to create as an alternative to traditional accrediting agencies.

Michael Haller

A Gainesville-based pediatric endocrinologist who says the idea that accrediting bodies would penalize medical schools for teaching principles of gender-affirming care is 'dangerous and incorrect'.

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What they’re saying

“While I certainly have my opinions, I do not have the requisite training to assert what the medical evidence should demonstrate.”

— Alan Levine, Chairman, State University System's Board of Governors (Miami Herald)

“Accreditation agencies do not dictate treatment decisions or promote ideology. They set educational standards. Patient care decisions should remain between physicians, patients, and families, guided by scientific evidence and clinical judgment.”

— Michael Haller, Pediatric Endocrinologist (Miami Herald)

What’s next

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education is expected to respond to Levine's letter, which could determine whether Florida moves to establish its own medical education accreditor as an alternative to the national body.

The takeaway

Florida's targeting of medical school accreditors is the latest front in the state's broader campaign against what it views as ideologically-driven oversight of higher education. The move could have far-reaching implications for the state's medical schools and students, as well as access to federal funding for higher ed.