Pocan Urges WI Hospitals to Resume Providing Gender Affirming Care

MADISON, WI - Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) sent letters to UW Health and Children's Wisconsin expressing his sincere disappointment that both systems decided to stop providing gender affirming care to patients under the age of 18, despite the fact that there is currently no legal requirement to do so. Refusing to provide this care while it remains legal shows they are choosing to operate more as political organizations than as healthcare institutions.

These two hospital systems recently stopped providing gender affirming care for minors after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a proposed rule alongside a Declaration from the Department of Health and Human Services, which sought to force healthcare providers to immediately stop providing gender affirming care to youth under 18 or risk exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. However, due to ongoing litigation, in which the State of Wisconsin is a party, hospitals are currently still able to provide this care. Despite this, Children's Wisconsin and UW Health have not yet resumed providing gender affirming care for patients under the age of 18.

The letters strongly urge each hospital system to immediately resume providing this critical, and often lifesaving care, pending any legal ruling that would jeopardize their ability to participate in federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Pocan's letters are as follows:

"I'm writing to express my sincere disappointment that UW Health [and Children's Wisconsin] have decided to stop providing gender affirming care to patients under the age of 18, despite the fact that there is currently no legal requirement to do so. Refusing to provide this care while it remains legal shows you are choosing to operate as more of a political organization than a healthcare institution. I strongly urge you to immediately resume providing this medically necessary and often lifesaving care pending a legal ruling in Oregon et al. v. Kennedy et al. that would threaten your hospital and providers with exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for continuing to provide such care.

"I am aware that the Trump administration's efforts to restrict the provision of gender affirming care for transgender youth through various legal avenues has created an atmosphere of confusion, uncertainty, and anxiety for medical providers and facilities. However, more importantly, these efforts are having a devastating impact on the transgender young people who require this care and their families. Medical care for transgender youth is safe and effective, and is supported by every major medical association in the U.S., representing more than 1.3 million doctors. Restricting access to medical care for transgender youth not only endangers their health and wellbeing, but also strips parents of their ability to support their children in making informed healthcare decisions that let them live as their authentic selves.

"As you may know, on January 6, 2026 the parties in Oregon et al. v. Kennedy et al., which includes the State of Wisconsin, filed a Joint Motion in which the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agreed to refrain from issuing any notices of intent to exclude or notices of exclusion until the earlier of the Court's decision on the motion for summary judgment or 30 days after the hearing on the motion for summary judgment. Given that this litigation is not likely to conclude for at least several months, hospitals may continue providing gender affirming care to transgender youth without risking the loss of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Continuing to deny such critical care at this time is an intentional decision to prioritize politics over patient care, and jeopardizes the health and wellbeing of transgender youth in Wisconsin.

"Again, I strongly urge you to immediately resume the provision of gender affirming care for youth under 18 pending a legal outcome that would threaten your hospital and providers with exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Given the critical and often lifesaving nature of this care, there is no justification for refusing to provide it when there is currently no legal requirement or risk to your organization for doing so."

Digital versions of the letters can be found here (Children's Wisconsin) (UW Health).