Kaiser Permanente will pause gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 beginning August 29, the nonprofit health giant announced Wednesday, citing an increasingly hostile federal regulatory environment under President Donald Trump.
Kaiser said it made the “difficult decision” after “significant deliberation” and consultation with legal and medical experts, pointing to “significant risks being created for health systems, clinicians, and patients.”
Since January, the Trump administration has implemented sweeping restrictions on gender-affirming care, including executive orders limiting federal support, DOJ subpoenas targeting doctors, and threats to cut off funding to institutions providing care to minors. Two federal courts have blocked parts of those orders.
California officials swiftly criticized the move. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D) called the pause “a straight-up denial of care,” while the California Nurses Association labeled the decision “government overreach.”
Kaiser says other care, including hormones and puberty blockers, remains available. But the announcement comes as other hospitals — including Children’s National Hospital and institutions in Chicago and Pittsburgh — also pull back services in response to federal pressure.
Conservative activist Chloe Cole, who is suing Kaiser over her own treatment, praised the decision, saying, “We are winning!”
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