DENVER — Two major Colorado hospitals recently announced they will stop providing any gender-affirming care for patients under 18 years old.
Children's Hospital Colorado and Denver Health stated they would immediately suspend these services for minors because of increasing pressure from federal health officials and an ongoing Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) investigation into Children's Hospital.
In 2025, prior to the current suspensions, the two major Denver area hospitals had stopped offering gender-affirming surgeries as a direct response to President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at cutting federal support for gender transitions for people under age 19.
As a result of the latest decisions, the two facilities are now suspending services such as puberty blocking prescriptions and hormone therapy.
A Denver Health spokesperson said the hospital’s suspension of gender-affirming services was necessary because continuing to offer such care to minors could jeopardize federal funding.
“These changes, which are made necessary by the actions of HHS, substantially affect access to critical health services. We also are concerned that the important relationships built between our providers and patients to help make informed decisions about their care are being disrupted. We are taking the appropriate steps to ensure our patients and families have the information they need at this time,” Denver Health said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Children’s Hospital stated that because it faces a possible federal investigation, it must suspend all medical gender-affirming care.
“Following the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) announced referral of an investigation against Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado), the hospital must suspend all medical gender-affirming care for patients under 18 years old while we await federal court rulings and assess the rapidly evolving legal landscape. This referral threatens Children’s Colorado’s Medicare and Medicaid funding, risking care for hundreds of thousands of children,” Children’s Hosital said in a statement.
Despite this decision, the hospital said it would continue to offer behavioral health and supportive care services for these patients.
HHS has recently adopted restrictive policies toward gender-affirming care for minors. Under the current administration, the agency aims to end the practice entirely, as it claims there is no evidence that these treatments are safe and effective for patients under 18.
Last month, Colorado joined other states in a lawsuit against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has said he intends to bar hospitals providing gender-affirming care to minors from Medicare and Medicaid participation.
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