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In the wake of Donald Trump’s executive order threatening to withhold federal funding from hospitals that offer gender-affirming care to individuals under the age of 19, several major hospitals across the US have stopped providing such treatments.
The 28 January executive order directed federal departments and agencies to ensure that hospitals and medical institutions receiving federal research or education grants stop providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgical procedures to transgender youth under the age of 19.
“It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures,” the order reads.
In response, several hospitals around the country have stopped providing gender-affirming care procedures for those under 19 while they evaluate and assess the order.
On 30 January, Virginia Commonwealth University Health and Children’s Hospital of Richmond began suspending gender-affirming medications and gender-affirming surgical procedures for those under 19, the hospital said.
“Our doors remain open to all patients and their families for screening, counseling, mental healthcare and all other healthcare needs” a statement from the health center reads.
The same day, in Washington DC, Children’s National hospital said in a statement that it was “pausing all puberty blockers and hormone therapy prescriptions for transgender youth patients, per the guidelines in the executive order issued by the White House this week”.
The statement also noted that the Children’s National hospital “already does not perform gender affirming surgery for minors”.
The hospital said that it recognized “the impact this change will have, and our commitment to creating a better future for children and families remains at the forefront of our mission”.
“We will do everything we can to ensure the same uninterrupted access to mental health counseling, social support, and holistic and respectful care for every patient at Children’s National,” the statement added.
A spokesperson for Denver Health in Colorado told the Associated Press that the hospital had stopped providing gender-affirming surgeries for individuals under the age of 19, to comply with the executive order and continue receiving federal funding.
In a statement posted to its website, Denver Health said that it was “working to understand and comply with the full implications of the broadly worded order” and that “guidance on changes to medical care is being handled privately so that we can best support our patients and their families”.
The Denver hospital said it was “deeply concerned for the health and safety of our gender diverse patients under the age of 19”.
“We recognize this order will impact gender-diverse youth, including increased risk of depression, anxiety and suicidality,” the hospital stated.
The executive order, the hospital said, “includes criminal and financial consequences for those who do not comply, including placing participation in federal programs including Medicare, Medicaid and other programs administered by [the US Department of Health and Human Services] at risk.”
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These programs represent a significant portion of Denver Health’s funding, the hospital said, and “the executive order specifically states that should we not comply, our participation in these programs is at risk”.
“The loss of this funding would critically impair our ability to provide care for the Denver community,” the hospital added.
“As we navigate the order’s requirements, we will continue to provide primary and behavioral healthcare to all impacted youth and will work to maintain the level of trust we have built with the LGBTQ+ community,” the statement added.
In New York City, one of the city’s biggest hospital networks, NYU Langone, also reportedly began canceling appointments for transgender children following Trump’s order.
Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago told the Associated Press that hospital officials there were reviewing the order and “assessing any potential impact to the clinical services we offer to our patient families”.
“Our team will continue to advocate for access to medically necessary care, grounded in science and compassion for the patient-families we are so privileged to serve,” the statement said.
On Monday, the New York attorney general, Letitia James, sent a letter to New York healthcare providers and others warning that complying with Trump’s executive order could violate New York state anti-discrimination laws.
“Regardless of the availability of federal funding, we write to further remind you of your obligations to comply with New York state laws,” the letter states.
It adds: “Electing to refuse services to a class of individuals based on their protected status, such as withholding the availability of services from transgender individuals based on their gender identity or their diagnosis of gender dysphoria, while offering such services to cisgender individuals, is discrimination under New York law.”
