Lurie Children’s Hospital pauses gender-affirming meds for new patients under 18 after feds threaten probe

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital is among several hospitals being referred by Trump administration officials for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services office of inspector general, prompting them to further restrict gender-affirming care.Health and Human Services General Counsel Mike Stuart announced the referral for investigation on social media Jan. 15, naming five other hospitals: Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware; Boston Children’s Hospital; Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; New York University Langone Health; and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Oregon.In a statement to WBEZ on Tuesday afternoon, Lurie Children’s Hospital said it won’t give any prescriptions to patients younger than 18 who would be new to gender-affirming care at its hospital, including if they had previously been prescribed the care at another hospital. Lurie has one of the oldest gender-affirming programs in the country.“Actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including their announcement on January 15th of a referral for an investigation of Lurie Children’s, have resulted in this decision,” hospital spokesperson Julianne Bardele wrote. “This threatens our ability to care for all of our patients. … We remain committed to our patients and families and their ability to access expert medical care.”Bardele declined to confirm whether the HHS inspector general’s office is investigating Lurie.Under the Trump administration, the federal agency has claimed gender-affirming care is “harmful,” putting it at odds with dozens of major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.Some Trump administration moves have led many…

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