US hospitals halt pediatric trans care as federal funding threats trigger legal battles
Patients report abrupt loss of continuity of care, while the ACLU and state attorneys general launch lawsuits to challenge the closures.
Multiple major US healthcare institutions, including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, NYU Langone, and UChicago Medicine, have abruptly ceased providing gender-affirming care for minors. The closures follow explicit threats from the Trump administration to withhold federal funding from medical systems that treat transgender youth. Kaiser Permanente has also paused surgical pediatric trans care for patients under 19, citing significant deliberation and consultation with experts.
The sudden shutdowns have left patients without continuity of care, with some forced to detransition or seek treatment through unofficial channels. Families report increased logistical burdens and safety concerns as they navigate a collapsing healthcare landscape. The move has triggered immediate legal challenges from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and several state attorneys general, who argue the closures violate patient rights and medical standards.
In New York, the Attorney General ordered NYU Langone to resume care for trans children, but the hospital has not complied and is currently being subpoenaed to release records of its pediatric trans care. Similarly, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Seattle has stopped treating trans kids, while Seattle Children’s is attempting legal action to maintain services. These developments occur alongside legislative efforts such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s HR 3492, introduced in 2025, which attempts to criminalise providing gender-affirming care to minors.
Patients and families describe a system in disarray, with doctors losing jobs and therapists leaving clients without support. Some teenagers have reported being provided only suicide hotline numbers upon termination of care, rather than referrals for continued treatment. The disruption has forced many families to relocate to more liberal states or resort to homeschooling to protect their children from both political hostility and the loss of essential medical support.
The Trump administration’s pressure extends beyond healthcare, with reports emerging of forcibly detransitioning inmates throughout the prison system. Meanwhile, patients like Sage, a nonbinary student at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, describe the psychological toll of abrupt care cessation. Sage stopped taking testosterone after the hospital closed its trans care unit, citing a lack of continuity and no referral provided, highlighting the severe impact on mental health and identity development for vulnerable youth.
