Particle.news
Download on the App Store
21 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Kaiser Permanente to Pause Gender-Affirming Surgeries for Under-19s

Halting surgeries under federal pressure exposes providers to mounting union protests alongside looming state lawsuits.

FILE: The sign on the exterior of the Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center is visible on Sept. 8, 2023, in Vallejo, Calif.
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Kaiser Permanente will stop all gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 beginning August 29, 2025.
  • The nonprofit attributed the pause to federal executive orders, CMS hospital reviews, FTC regulatory oversight, and DOJ subpoenas targeting youth gender-affirming care.
  • Kaiser confirmed that hormone therapy and puberty-blocker treatments for minors will remain available as it seeks a responsible path forward.
  • The decision follows similar steps by Stanford Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, UPMC, Rush Medical Center, and UChicago Medicine earlier this summer.
  • Nursing unions, LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, and multiple state attorneys general contend that the pause violates anti-discrimination laws and are pursuing legal challenges.