GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Corewell Health has announced it will no longer provide gender-affirming care for minors, in response to pressure from the Trump administration.
The health system pointed to similar health care systems around the country that have made similar decisions.
University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, announced in August it would stop prescribing puberty blockers and gender affirming hormones for patients under age 19. That health system also said it was in response to unprecedented legal and regulatory threats to its clinicians and its institution.
A statement from Corewell Health was provided to Fox 17 on Thursday saying:
"Given the serious risk of legal and regulatory action, Corewell Health will no longer prescribe puberty blockers or hormone therapy to minors for gender affirmation. Like many health care systems across the country, we made this decision to protect both our health care providers and our patients. We will continue to compassionately address the health needs of our patients who are in transition or wish to transition, including providing mental health support."
This is the second time this year Corewell has made this type of move. In February the healthcare system briefly paused starting new hormone therapies for minors but says they never stopped services for patients already receiving gender-affirming care. At the time it said, "Care decisions are best made between physicians and their patients and families."
Erin Knott, Executive Director of Equality Michigan, said, “It is devastating to see yet another healthcare giant turn its back on transgender youth and their families. Corewell’s decision underscores a disturbing pattern. Institutions that should be at the forefront of providing compassionate, evidence-based care are instead retreating under political pressure, leaving vulnerable young people to shoulder the harm."
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