Trump administration probes lead to trans care cutbacks
The big picture: Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Stanford Medicine and Pittsburgh's UPMC are among the facilities pausing or shutting down services following federal probes and concerns that funding could be at risk.
That's despite a judge temporarily halting President Trump's executive order that would strip federal funding from hospitals providing gender-affirming medical services to minors.
What they're saying:"Certainly there have been a lot of threats, which have translated into a lot of fear," said Kellan Baker, executive director of the Institute for Health Research and Policy at Whitman-Walker, the LGBTQ+ health center.
"I think it's really important, now more than ever, that institutions in our lives, whether that is hospital systems or the states themselves or the courts, are standing up for transgender young people," he said. "What this administration is doing is serious overreach."
Driving the news: The Federal Trade Commission will hold a public workshop on Wednesday to "gauge the harms consumers may be experiencing" surrounding gender-affirming care for minors.
Speakers at the hearing include prominent voices against youth gender-affirming care, including a Texas doctor accused of illegally obtaining information on patients and sharing it with a conservative activist. The Trump administration dropped the case in January.
It's the latest in a string of Trump administration actions that show the federal government isn't backing down from its goal to stop surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers for youth with gender dysphoria and and tie the awarding of federal funding to recognizing only a person's sex assigned at birth.
Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this year directed prosecutors to investigate providers of gender-affirming surgical procedures, which she characterized as female genital mutilation.
She also directed the Justice Department's civil division to investigate drug manufacturers and distributors for making false claims about on- or off-label use of puberty blockers and hormone therapies, as well as providers for billing Medicaid related for what she called "radical gender experimentation."
The FBI last month requested tips from the public on hospitals and providers offering gender-affirming care for youth.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in May sent letters to nine hospitals seeking information about informed consent protocols for kids with gender dysphoria, adverse events related to procedures and financial data for all pediatric gender-affirming surgeries covered at least in part by a federal program.
The Trump administration has said its actions are necessary to protect minors from fraud and medical complications as a result of gender-related medical interventions, as well as regret from having undergone care.
"President Trump has been clear: America will protect kids from life-altering and experimental procedures. CMS has warned hospitals and state Medicaid programs about these dangers — and is taking regulatory enforcement actions. It's time for children's hospitals to do the right thing," CMS administrator Mehmet Oz said in a statement to Axios.
The White House referred queries to CMS.
Reality check: Gender-affirming care for kids with gender dysphoria is supported by major medical organizations including the American Medical Association.
A broad medical evidence review published by the University of Utah in May at the request of the state's legislature found that gender-affirming hormone treatments are safe, and effective for promoting mental health.
Drugs like puberty blockers are temporary and reversible and used for both trans and non-trans youth who experience early onset puberty. Surgeries for transgender children are rare, and most people who accessed transition-related care as adolescents are happy with that decision as adults, research shows.
Still, the federal actions taken together are creating significant risk for health care providers, even in states where families of transgender kids are moving to seek better access to care.
While some providers that paused gender-affirming care for kids after January's executive order have since resumed services, other providers have decided they can't weather the prospect of prosecution or losing federal funds.
Case in point: Children's Hospital Los Angeles announced last month that it will close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development and gender-affirming care surgical program on July 22 because of the threat of losing federal funding.
"This decision does not come lightly. ... However, it follows a lengthy and thorough assessment of the increasingly severe impacts of federal administrative actions and proposed policies that have taken place since that time," hospital leadership wrote in a letter to staff.
If the hospital lost all access to federal funding, it would only be able to sustain operations for about 50 days, the letter says.
Stanford Medicine last month also paused gender-related surgical procedures for patients under 19 years old after considering federal government actions, the health system confirmed to Axios.
Community Medical Center in Montana and UPMC in Pennsylvania also both recently stopped providing gender-affirming medical services to minors.
"As we continue to monitor executive branch memos, directives, and other guidance from the federal government, these actions have made it abundantly clear that our clinicians can no longer provide certain types of gender-affirming care without risk of criminal prosecution," a UPMC spokesperson said in a statement to Axios.
Between the lines: Providers that stop caring for transgender youth may be in violation of California's anti-discrimination laws, said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights.
CHLA did not respond to a request for comment on concerns that it would violate state anti-discrimination laws.
What we're watching: Whether the administration takes action against gender-affirming care providers based on any of its investigations as litigation over the executive order continues.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
13 minutes ago
- The Hill
Medicaid changes will hurt family caregivers, experts warn
Medicaid cuts under President Trump's sweeping tax and spending package will harm family caregivers, experts warn, by reducing access to health care for themselves and the people they care for, which could then lead to more caregiving responsibilities. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the package will reduce Medicaid spending by roughly $911 billion over the next 10 years and increase the number of uninsured Americans by up to 10 million. Some of those who could lose coverage are among the 8 million — or 13 percent — of family caregivers in the United States who receive their health insurance coverage through Medicaid, according to the National Alliance of Caregiving. 'We are very concerned of the impact of the just finalized Medicaid cuts on the community of family caregivers,' Jason Resendez, president and CEO of the alliance, said during a call with reporters earlier this week. Medicaid recipients will be subject to more frequent eligibility checks, in part, due to revised work requirements for the joint state and federal program. Now, adults between the ages of 19 and 64 will need to work or participate in community service activities for at least 80 hours a month to be eligible for health care coverage under Medicaid. There are some exceptions for parents with dependents as well as for those deemed 'medically frail' or who are pregnant or postpartum, according to the health care policy nonprofit KFF. Many caregivers cannot work outside the home because of the intense care their family members need, or can only work limited hours, which can make fulfilling Medicaid work requirements difficult to impossible. This was the case for Lisa Tschudi, host of caregiving podcast 'Love Doesn't Pay the Bills,' who stayed home full time to take care of her daughter who has ataxic cerebral palsy and epilepsy. 'We really did not have other options,' she said. 'I, many times, tried to line up some non-me care for her during the workday and a job for myself, and I never really got my start in a paid job in that way.' Her daughter's epilepsy was poorly controlled for years as a child and teen, which required her to travel for frequent doctors' appointments on top of taking care of her younger daughter. 'It was a lot to manage,' she said. Work requirements might force some family caregivers to look for outside help, if that is an option, which represents a new expense and, potentially, a new challenge to navigate. 'Even if you can find outside providers to come in … families often find that they are not reliable,' said Elizabeth Edwards, senior attorney at the National Health Law Program. 'Some of that inconsistency of how people show up as providers can mean it's very hard to hold a job.' Family caregivers also already spend huge amounts of time navigating numerous bureaucratic hurdles, and new work requirements will add to the paperwork they have to fill out to prove they are eligible for health care under Medicaid. This extra administrative work also increases the likelihood of errors occurring in the eligibility system, which could delay coverage or prevent some from being enrolled altogether, according to Edwards. That is what happened to many Medicaid recipients in Arkansas and Georgia when the two states implemented work requirements in 2018 and 2023, respectively. More than 18,000 people in Arkansas lost Medicaid coverage over the 10-month period the state rolled out work requirements without increasing employment, according to a KFF analysis. Georgia still has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country at 12 percent, according to the Commonwealth Fund. 'We anticipate [them] not just being faced with these eligibility issues, but family caregivers losing Medicaid coverage because of these additional hurdles that they'll be forced to traverse,' Resendez said. About 11 million family caregivers in the U.S. receive payment for the care they provide, according to Resendez. Those payments primarily come through home and community-based services and consumer-directed programs at the state level. But those programs will likely start to lose funding as states are forced to decide what to fund with fewer Medicaid dollars, experts told The Hill. 'When states have less money and are forced to make decisions, home and community-based services are the first optional benefits to get cut,' Resendez said. Tschudi, as well as her husband and second daughter, are all paid family caregivers under a home and community-based service their home state of Oregon's Medicaid program provides. Without that program, her family would likely have to go back to unpaid caregiving, which would not be financially possible at this time. 'I don't wish it on anyone,' Tschudi said about the struggles that come with unpaid caregiving. 'I really think you leave families in an impossible situation when you don't pay for caregiving.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Labcorp Holdings Second Quarter 2025 Earnings: Revenues Beat Expectations, EPS Lags
Labcorp Holdings (NYSE:LH) Second Quarter 2025 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: US$3.53b (up 9.5% from 2Q 2024). Net income: US$237.9m (up 16% from 2Q 2024). Profit margin: 6.7% (up from 6.4% in 2Q 2024). The increase in margin was driven by higher revenue. EPS: US$2.85 (up from US$2.44 in 2Q 2024). Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Labcorp Holdings Revenues Beat Expectations, EPS Falls Short Revenue exceeded analyst estimates by 1.2%. Earnings per share (EPS) missed analyst estimates by 12%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 4.5% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 6.3% growth forecast for the Healthcare industry in the US. Performance of the American Healthcare industry. The company's shares are up 8.7% from a week ago. Risk Analysis You should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Labcorp Holdings. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
How Healthcare Is Becoming Less Affordable Under The Trump Administration
Ryan Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center located in the Hell's Kitchen, New York City, provides ... More high-quality, affordable, and comprehensive healthcare services to children, adults, and seniors. (Photo by: Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) It has been just six months since President Trump has started his second term as Commander-in-Chief, and there have been profound changes in the healthcare landscape across America. His legislative and regulatory agenda could accelerate the decline in healthcare affordability across the United States. Here's how health services and accessibility could be compromised for millions of Americans. Medicaid Cuts More than 10 million Americans will lose healthcare insurance coverage through Medicaid over the next decade as part of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill', according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. These millions of Americans are among the most vulnerable population in dire need of healthcare, as Medicaid supports children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with disabilities. Without health insurance, individuals may be reluctant to seek care when sick, they may not go to the doctor's office for routine checkups, and they may not be able to fill drug prescriptions to curb serious diseases. When getting emergent care, these individuals will not be able to afford the large health bills they receive since they are uninsured as Medicaid will not contribute to picking up the tab. Rollback Of Affordable Care Act Subsidies President Joe Biden allowed for federal subsidies and premium tax credits for middle- and low-income families who bought state health coverage on state insurance marketplaces as part of the Affordable Care Act. This aid decreased medical bills and lowered insurance premiums for the 24 million Americans that benefit from this plan. These subsidies are in jeopardy and could expire in December if congress does not renew them. If congress does not act, millions of Americans could be forced to lose healthcare coverage altogether or be pushed to switch to higher deductible health plans that would require them to pay more out of pocket costs before receiving financial support. These changes will not just affect low-income families. The cost to middle-class and working families will be stark- some households earning around $65,000 could see annual health costs rise by over $2,300, and approximately 4.2 million people could lose health insurance altogether, according to the Washington Post. Rising Out-Of-Pocket Costs Healthcare costs that were once paid by health insurers could be shifted increasingly to individuals. As an example, consider COVID-19 vaccines that have traditionally been covered by the federal government or health insurers at no cost to the consumer. New federal guidelines for COVID-19 vaccines will allow health insurers to halt coverage of the vaccines, so patients themselves will have to cover the cost. As an example, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the CDC have stated that COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for pregnant females. Health insurers are usually obliged to cover vaccines that are recommended by federal regulatory bodies. However, with the new federal recommendations, health insurers will be exempt from covering this service to select individuals, which will effectively shift the cost to Americans if they want to stay protected from COVID-19. Increased Drug Costs President Trump has announced an intent to impose tariffs in the range of 25-200% on pharmaceuticals to incentivize drug production in the United States. If implemented, this policy would be problematic since 80 percent of generic tablets consumed by Americans are manufactured outside the U.S. according to The Hill. Even a 25% tariff would increase U.S. drug prices by nearly $51 billion. This, of course, would have devastating consequences for millions of Americans. Not only would this make healthcare even less affordable than it already is, but health outcomes would deteriorate. Many Americans would forego buying medicines, thereby exacerbating sickness and illness. Nine out of 10 people over the age of 65 rely on prescription drugs to maintain their well-being, according to the American Association of Retired Persons. Although the Trump administration has touted executive actions that seek to improve health transparency and reduce drug costs, the broader legislative and regulatory agenda being imposed will make healthcare significantly less affordable to the average American. Many American families could lose health insurance, face higher premiums and pay greater out-of-pocket costs in the years to come.
