Two major Wisconsin hospitals have stopped providing gender-affirming care to minors following recent federal policy announcements targeting such treatments.
Children's Wisconsin and UW Health announced in early January 2026 that they are pausing puberty blockers and hormone therapy for patients under 18 years old. Both hospitals cited federal regulatory risks and policy changes from the Trump administration as reasons for the suspension.
Federal Funding Restrictions Trigger Hospital Pause
The pause follows actions announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in December 2025. HHS proposed rules that would block all Medicare and Medicaid funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors, according to JSOnline.
Since virtually every hospital in the United States relies on federal funding from these programs, the proposed rules would effectively force medical facilities to choose between offering these treatments and maintaining their funding.
"Under my leadership, and answering President Trump's call to action, the federal government will do everything in its power to stop unsafe, irreversible practices that put our children at risk," Kennedy said in a statement announcing the plan.
In a statement, Children's Wisconsin said it is "currently unable to provide gender affirming pharmacologic care" due to "escalating legal and federal regulatory risk" facing providers nationwide. The health system added that it believes LGBTQ children should be treated with "support, respect, dignity and compassion" and will continue offering mental health services.
UW Health stated it is pausing prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy "due to recent federal actions" while remaining committed to providing "high-quality, compassionate" care to LGBTQ patients, WPR reported.
The two proposed federal rules are currently in a 60-day public comment period after being entered into the Federal Register. One rule would prohibit Medicaid and CHIP funds from covering gender-affirming care for minors, while another would bar hospitals that provide such care from receiving any Medicare or Medicaid funding.
Concerns for Transgender Youth Amid Legal Challenges
Legal challenges are expected, and attorneys general from 20 states, including Wisconsin, have filed a lawsuit challenging HHS Secretary Kennedy's authority to issue the declaration.
Advocates have expressed concerns about the impact on transgender youth. Steve Starkey, executive director of OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center in Madison, said losing access to these treatments could negatively affect mental health outcomes for trans youth. A 2023 study found that more than 80 percent of trans adults had thought about suicide, and more than 40 percent had attempted suicide.
Gender-affirming care for minors is legal in Wisconsin and requires full parental consent. Major medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, consider such care to be evidence-based treatment endorsed by professional standards, as per the Wisconsin Watch.
