Children\u2019s Wisconsin and UW Health have stopped providing gender-affirming care treatments to minors, citing recent federal policy changes.<\/p>\n
Both are among the state\u2019s largest pediatric hospitals. Advocates fear the lack of access to gender-affirming treatments could lead to negative mental health effects for transgender youth.<\/p>\n
The moves come after the Trump administration last month<\/a> announced plans<\/a> to block all Medicaid and Medicare funding for any services at hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors. They say it exposes young people to irreversible harm.<\/p>\n News with a little more humanity<\/p>\n WPR\u2019s \u201cWisconsin Today\u201d newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder my leadership, and answering President Trump\u2019s call to action, the federal government will do everything in its power to stop unsafe, irreversible practices that put our children at risk,\u201d Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in the statement announcing the plan. \u201cThis Administration will protect America\u2019s most vulnerable. Our children deserve better \u2014 and we are delivering on that promise.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement, Children\u2019s Wisconsin cited \u201cescalating legal and federal regulatory risk\u201d facing providers across the nation as the reason it is \u201ccurrently unable to provide gender affirming pharmacologic care.\u201d<\/p>\n The health system also said it believes LGBTQ+ children should be treated with \u201csupport, respect, dignity and compassion\u201d and stated that it will continue offering mental health services for patients and families.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, UW Health said in a statement that it is pausing prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy as part of gender affirming care for patients under 18 years old \u201cdue to recent federal actions.\u201d The system said it remains committed to providing \u201chigh-quality, compassionate\u201d care to LGBTQ+ patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe recognize the uncertainty faced by our impacted patients and families seeking this gender affirming care and will continue to support their health and well-being,\u201d UW Health said in a statement.<\/p>\n Steve Starkey, executive director for OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center in Madison, said he believes the health systems\u2019 decisions will have negative impacts on trans youth in Wisconsin.<\/p>\n \u201cFor trans people of all ages, being able to express themselves in the gender that they feel that they are is important for their mental and physical health,\u201d he said. \u201cBy not allowing trans people to do that, to have the support, it just means that they are not able to be wholly who they are.\u201d<\/p>\n