UChicago Medicine Latest To End Gender-Affirming Care For Minors Amid Federal Pressure Campaign

UChicago Medicine has announced it will end all gender-affirming care for minors due to federal funding threats from the Trump administration. This decision comes shortly after Rush University Medical Center halted similar services for new patients under 18 years old. Local officials and protesters have condemned these actions, emphasizing the critical need for access to gender-affirming healthcare. UChicago Medicine, citing that the majority of its patients depend on Medicare and Medicaid, stated the decision was essential for its continued operation within the community. The hospitals' policies have been challenged amid a backdrop of federal pressure and a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding Tennessee's ban on such care.

Advocates argue that these changes set a dangerous precedent for transgender healthcare access in the Midwest. The situation has prompted calls for investigations into the hospitals' practices by city officials. Gender-affirming care is increasingly seen as a vital component of healthcare for transgender youth, making these hospital decisions particularly impactful.