VCU Health ends gender-affirming care again, now for all youth patients
VCU Health became the first public health system to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump ordering gender-affirming care for people under 19 years old to be discontinued. Photo by Maggie Root.
Molly Manning, News Editor
VCU Health will no longer provide gender-affirming care at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond for patients under age 19, the health system announced in a statement on Tuesday.
The hospital previously suspended those services in January following an executive order from President Donald Trump — as well as a letter from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares — calling for hospitals and health systems to end gender-affirming care or risk losing their federal funding, according to a previous report by The Commonwealth Times.
While services were initially completely suspended, VCU Health resumed gender-affirming care for existing patients a month later, according to CBS 6. In a reversal of that decision, the health system is now stating they will “wind down” care over the next 90 days, including existing patients.
In fiscal year 2024 VCU Health received $888.3 million in Medicaid payments and $879.8 million in Medicare payments, according to spokesperson Brian McNeill.
Under Virginia law, gender-affirming care is legal and discrimination based on gender identity or trangender status is prohibited. Care can include counseling, checkups, puberty blockers and hormones, according to Shannon McKay, co-founder and executive director of He She Ze and We.
He She Ze and We is a nonprofit organization that supports transgender and nonbinary people and their families through a multilayer approach of education, support, advocacy and community building, according to McKay.
“It makes me extremely angry and disappointed at VCU that they have cowered to the pressure of the federal government and state government,” McKay said. “Healthcare and these decisions around medical care should be between the patient, their families and their trusted medical providers, not the government.”
Many youth and their families have already sought new healthcare providers following the announcement in January, citing a loss of trust in VCU Health, McKay said. However, the decision could still impact 186 youth patients receiving care, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
VCU Health declined an interview request by The Commonwealth Times, but referred to the Tuesday statement.
