The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) released the following statement regarding federal pressures on healthcare providers related to pediatric gender-affirming care:
“It is distressing that patients’ access to care is being threatened by the federal government’s unrelenting focus on undermining the availability of gender-affirming care and that healthcare providers are being forced to navigate extremely difficult and complex decisions regarding the care they can offer. These decisions are not made lightly. Hospitals and health systems across the country are weighing numerous factors, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
“Healthcare providers must consider not only an executive order issued earlier this year, but also increasingly aggressive actions by federal agencies—including the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Trade Commission—as well as threats to individual caregivers and critical hospital funding, which could include all Medicare and Medicaid funding. When the full weight of the federal government moves toward actions that could result in legal penalties on members of our healthcare workforce or jeopardize care for all patients, the stakes are extraordinarily high.
“Above all, patients come first. Connecticut hospitals and health systems remain committed to preserving services and maintaining continuity of care to the greatest extent possible—whether within our hospitals or through coordinated transitions to other providers.
“We are grateful for the support of Governor Ned Lamont and ongoing dialogue with state officials and leaders, which remains essential in understanding the impact of federal actions and in working collaboratively to identify solutions that best protect patient care and access.”
Additional background information:
- Executive Order 14187, January 2025: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-children-from-chemical-and-surgical-mutilation/
- HHS Report Issued May 1, 2025: https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/gender-dysphoria-report-exec-summary.pdf
- CMS Letter Requesting Information from Hospitals Related to Gender-Affirming Care, May 28, 2025: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/hospital-oversight-letter-generic.pdf
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Letter to Healthcare Providers and Medical Boards on May 28, 2025 Urging Updates to Treatment Protocols and Noting “HHS may soon undertake new policies and oversight actions, consistent with applicable law, to ensure the protection of children, and to hold providers that harm children accountable”: https://x.com/HHSGov/status/1927791449476567043
- DOJ Subpoenas July, 2025: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-subpoenas-doctors-and-clinics-involved-performing-transgender-medical
- FTC Probe of Deceptive Practices Related to Gender-Affirming Care for Minors, Announced at Workshop July 9, 2025: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events/2025/07/dangers-gender-affirming-care-minors
