Kaiser Permanente to stop gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19

[lostincalifornia]

"The move echoes recent moves by other major providers, like Stanford Health, in the wake of Trump’s executive order.

Kaiser Permanente, the largest health care provider in California, will halt gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 as of August 29.

Kaiser, which covers roughly one in four Californians, follows Stanford Health and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) in scaling back previously available treatments or closing care programs for transgender youth outright.

California has protective laws around health care that extend to youth from other states seeking services in the “sanctuary” of the Golden State. Yet the threat of federal funding cuts ingrained in an executive order by President Donald Trump to ban gender-affirming care for those under 19 nationwide has prompted some of the institutions that offer hormone treatments, surgery and mental health resources for young transgender people to stop some procedures.

A statement issued by Kaiser cited the pressures faced by hospitals providing care to transgender kids since January, when Trump took office. These include actions by federal agencies to restrict funding and curtail access to gender-affirming care, hospital inquiries by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, regulatory changes to coverage and broader oversight by agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission. Most recently, the U.S. Department of Justice issued subpoenas to doctors and clinics providing gender-affirming care as part of its federal investigations.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/07/24/kaiser-permanente-to-stop-gender-affirming-surgeries-for-patients-under-19/

[newdeal2]

1. Seeing this happen in other major blue cities

Proof that you can’t escape fascism even living in a blue state. And that you need to vote blue no matter what because as much as some people would like to convince you, there is a difference in the two parties.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

3. Yep

They're doing cost/benefit analysis and coming to the conclusion that they can either continue as-is and lose federal funding that pays for lots of other procedures, programs, etc., stop/curtail gender affirming care for minors and keep the federal money that pays or other things.

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. I thought the medical standard of care was already no irreversible surgeries on minors

AFAIK, that’s what it is in Canada, and surgery on adults is only performed after two years of preparatory gender affirming treatments and counselling.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding the terminology- is there a difference between surgeries that are “gender affirming” and gender reassignment surgeries?

[SickOfTheOnePct]

4. Not that way in the U.S.

It's moving that way now, based on the threats to federal funding.

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. Is there a difference between "gender affirming" surgery and gender reassignment surgery? Nt

[SickOfTheOnePct]

8. Not that I'm aware of

Gender-affirming care is a much broader category, but I don't know that there is a difference between gender-affirming and gender reassignment surgeries.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

10. "Gender reassignment" is outdated terminology. The accepted term is gender affirming.

[Oneironaut]

5. Actually, this includes any and all gender affirming care, not just surgeries.

By the end of this year, acknowledging that kids can be trans or treating them will effectively be banned in the US. In my prediction, later this year or next year, they’ll start trying to do the same for adults, with the ultimate goal of completely removing trans people from society. Hopefully they don’t succeed.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

7. This applies to surgery for minors

I've seen not seen anything that says they're stopping all gender-affirming care for minors.

[Oneironaut]

9. Hospitals are completely shutting down their GAC programs for teens.

There were 5 or so that entirely closed their programs this week, even for existing patients. The guidance is purposely vague to try and bully them into ending all gender affirming care rather than just surgeries, which were so rare that they didn’t really exist. They had to do it to avoid losing their funding entirely.

This happened even in blue states. Yale for example completely ended their program yesterday.

What’s left of the programs is for talk therapy only. That’s it. This is the fate for all the remaining hospitals. If they haven’t ended their teen gender affirming care programs, they are going to soon. It’s effectively banned.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

12. Got it, thanks

I was talking about Kaiser Permanente in particular, but thanks for the additional info.

It seems that this country is going in the same direction as some European countries when it comes to GAC for minors

[Oneironaut]

13. Tbh I do not believe any gender affirming care will exist within a year or so.

Trump is the mouse that keeps being given the cookie, and, he’s going to keep pushing until he can’t anymore.

We are not acting like Europe because the entire intention is to placate the religious right. The reason that the ban is on 19 and under and not 18 was to test banning GAC entirely for adults, which they will at least try in the coming year or next.

If you happen to agree with this decision, I would caution you to be careful. They are not doing this based on scientific evidence. They are cleaning house on members of society they have deemed “undesirable,” based on religious motivations. You are somewhere on that list as well, just by being on this website. Most of the US is somewhere on that list.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

14. I don't agree with the decision

I'm just saying that regardless of what the reason is, and I agree with what you're saying about the reasoning here v. in Europe, the U.S. does seem to be moving towards the same restrictions now seen in some European countries.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. Do they not do breast/nipple reductions or nose jobs on people younger than 18 in Canada?

[Fiendish Thingy]

15. Not for cosmetic purposes AFAIK

Only for problems affecting breathing, back pain, etc. (at least for procedures covered by govt, healthcare).

The medical standard of care in Canada requires the individual be an adult and undergo two years of gender affirming care and counselling (which can start as a minor) before undergoing permanent gender affirming/reassignment surgery, all covered by MSP.

As a retired Counsellor, that makes sense to me to delay surgery until adulthood while supporting and preparing the individual for the life altering impact the comes from surgery. (I had a client who was definitely a “Q” - Questioning- in their gender identity, and although not seeking surgery, was subject to mood swings and impulsive behaviour) This two year timeline would also help confirm gender dysphoric disorder was the issue being treated, and not another problem such as bipolar disorder, psychosis- both of which often emerge in late adolescence /early adulthood- or other problem where surgery would not be the appropriate treatment.

Edit to clarify: non-surgical, gender affirming care is available at any age in Canada, although most counselling is not covered under MSP.