Despite a new government ruling that aims to restrict such treatments for the time being, at least, Oregon Health & Science University, one of the nation’s top providers of gender-affirming care for transgender individuals, says it expects no stoppage in those services.
An executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday limits federal financing for gender-affirming medical procedures for children and teenagers under the age of 19. Puberty blockers, hormone treatments such as androgen blockers, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, as well as surgical procedures, are the explicit targets of the directive.
In a statement, OHSU stated that the federal injunction would not take effect right away. More than 6,000 adult and pediatric patients are served by the institution’s Transgender Health Program, which offers a variety of gender-affirming medical therapies include hormone therapy and surgery.
Sara Hottman, an OHSU spokesperson, stated in an email that nothing has changed as of yet about the treatment that the university offers. OHSU is still dedicated to making sure our patients continue to receive courteous, high-quality treatment while assessing the possible effects of the executive order.
Additionally, representatives from Legacy Health, Portland’s biggest hospital chain and a leading supplier of gender-affirming care, stated that their organization has not altered the care they offer.
The only two regular children’s hospitals in Oregon that treat transgender youngsters are Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital at OHSU.
Like the majority of hospitals, OHSU and Legacy depend on commercial insurance as well as Medicare and Medicaid revenues. In order to secure ongoing government money, hospitals in Colorado, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., have already put a halt to gender-affirming care for kids, according to the Associated Press.
Trump’s decision is consistent with his campaign pledge to prohibit Medicaid and Medicare from being used by any hospital or provider that provides gender-transition therapies to children.
Federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, are directed under the administration’s direction to take action to restrict federal funding for gender-affirming pediatric treatments. It aims to stop federally financed medical facilities from providing these services to minors and to remove coverage for these procedures from federal insurance programs such as Medicaid and federal employee benefits.
However, there will undoubtedly be legal challenges to the order.
Attorney General Dan Rayfield of Oregon criticized the federal edict on Thursday, saying it was a blatant instance of the administration enforcing its political agenda at the expense of some of the most needy. His administration said it will keep a careful eye on how the order is being implemented and how it affects Oregonians.
“How we approach our work to protect access to care will be impacted by how the order is implemented,” Rayfield said. At this stage, every legal alternative is available.
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Legal protections for gender-affirming care are among the greatest in the nation in Oregon.
House Bill 2002, which guaranteed comprehensive protections for both abortion rights and transgender health care access, was signed into law by Governor Tina Kotek in 2023. The bill, which was included in a package that caused Republican state senators to walk out for six weeks, forbids health insurers from refusing coverage for gender-affirming procedures that are medically required and recommended in compliance with recognized medical standards.
All public health plans, including the Oregon Health Plan, are required by state law to provide gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy, surgeries, and treatments. The same access to these medical care is likewise granted to governmental employees.
Trump’s unilateral order may increase OHSU’s and Legacy’s financial and legal uncertainty. Both are having financial difficulties and are trying to complete a merger. According to a preliminary analysis by Oregon’s regulatory agency for health care business transactions, the planned acquisition might make OHSU the only provider of gender-affirming surgical procedures in the state.
–Kristine de Leon uncovers tales about data enterprise, small company, retail, and consumer health. [email protected] is her email address.
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