Children’s Hospital, Denver Health end gender-affirming care to minors

Children’s Hospital said the decision came after HHS announced referral of an investigation against the hospital that would threaten Medicare and Medicaid funding.

COLORADO, USA — Two Colorado hospitals are pausing all medical gender affirming care for minors, citing actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to restrict medical institutions from providing that care.

Children’s Hospital Colorado and Denver Health said they will no longer be writing or renewing prescriptions related to gender affirming care, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, for patients under the age of 18. Neither hospital offered gender-affirming surgeries for minors.

“Following the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) announced referral of an investigation against Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado), the hospital must suspend all medical gender-affirming care for patients under 18 years old while we await federal court rulings and assess the rapidly evolving legal landscape,” Children’s Hospital Colorado said in a statement. “This referral threatens Children’s Colorado’s Medicare and Medicaid funding, risking care for hundreds of thousands of children.”

Children’s Hospital Colorado is also fighting a federal subpoena seeking medical and employment records related to gender-affirming care, according to recently unsealed court documents that reveal months of behind-the-scenes litigation over whether the federal government can compel access to patient information.

In July, the Department of Justice served Children’s Hospital Colorado with an administrative subpoena ordering the release of patient records, internal emails, policies, and staff information tied to the provision of gender-affirming care.

The case, previously sealed at the hospital’s request, places Colorado at the center of a growing national conflict over transgender health care for minors — with both the U.S. Department of Justice and more than 20 state attorneys general now weighing in.

“After careful review of the many escalating actions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to restrict health care institutions and individuals from providing gender affirming care to youth under the age of 18, Denver Health has made the difficult decision to suspend gender affirming care to youth,” that hospital said in a statement. “These changes, which are made necessary by the actions of HHS, substantially affect access to critical health services. We also are concerned that the important relationships built between our providers and patients to help make informed decisions about their care are being disrupted.”

Both hospitals said they would be providing supportive services to families affected by this decision. 

“We believe that families, in consultation with a trusted health-care team, know what is best for their child, and that all families, including the families of gender diverse children, should have the ability to receive the expert medical care their child needs to thrive,” Children’s Hospital Colorado said in their statement.