Fading into Irrelevance or Scurrying for Cover? [Seamus Muldoon]

Chris Bray at The Federalist:

California Is Trying To Save The Pediatric Trans Industry Because It’s Dying

In this April 7, 2026 piece, Bray posits that the retrenching, pausing or shuttering of children's hospital gender clinics in response to federal and legal pressure signals the demise of the transgender fad. Let's take a look at that premise.

Becker's Hospital Review gives a brief summary of the current status here:

Hospitals and gender care for minors: Where things stand

In December RFK Jt. submitted this comprehensive review of the state of gender programs for children:

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Hospital Condition of Participation: Prohibiting Sex-Rejecting Procedures for Children

This is a Proposed Rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on 12/19/2025 which threatens to withhold payments from facilities that continue to offer hormone treatments for gender dysphoria in patients under age 18. Secretary Kennedy is now using the phrase "sex-rejecting procedures" in place of the euphemistic "gender-affirming care". In addition to questioning the pro-trans viewpoint of the American Academy of Pediatrics and WPATH and the Endocrine Society published treatment guidelines, Kennedy cites trends in England and Europe spearheaded by the Cass Review that are questioning the supposed benefits of hormones and transsexual surgeries. This rule is now being litigated.

In addition to the proposed HHS rule, CHCO has been referred for investigation by the HHS Inspector General.

The Colorado Sun (1/2/26):
Children’s Hospital Colorado has suspended gender-affirming care for transgender youth amid a new federal investigation

Along with other children's hospitals and 18 state AGs, Children's Hospital Colorado (CHCO) is mounting legal challenges to the proposed rule by HHS that threatens suspension of ALL Medicaid and Medicare payments to CHCO across the board for ALL patients. Since more than half of CHCO's overall patient population is funded by Medicaid, this would be a massive hit to CHCO's funding and CHCO has temporarily backed off...for now. Although CHCO has suspended writing prescriptions for puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones, they signal via their TRUE Center for Gender Diversity that they are fighting the HHS proposed rule and offer encouragement that these services may be available at some point in the future. From the TRUE Center's home page:

At this time, the TRUE Center is not able to offer prescriptions for medical gender-affirming care for patients under the age of 18 years. Patients and families can meet with medical experts to obtain comprehensive medical education about treatment options that patients may seek in the future.

So, it appears that the TRUE Center is being cagey about their intentions and that their suspension of hormone prescriptions is merely a dodge to protect the CHCO mothership from stiff financial penalties They are rabid zealots and Gender-Affirming Care is still their top priority and ultimate goal. They clearly hope the legal challenges will fall in their favor, allowing them to resume what I prefer to call Delusion-Affirming Abuse. They are not suspending the prescriptions because of principle or a willingness to reconsider the deeper implications of these life-altering drugs. No, they are pausing while behind the scenes they are strategically regrouping and doubling down on their core beliefs. I suspect that Bray's assessment of the pending demise of childhood transgender programs is premature. The reaction of the transgender zealots is more akin to cockroaches scurrying for cover when the kitchen light is turned on. For each one you see, there are a hundred laying in wait.

One additional point. Let us not forget that with the passage of Obamacare, the Secretary of HHS was granted broad purview over all aspects of the federal healthcare system, including Medicare and Medicaid Rules. "The Secretary shall...this" and "The Secretary shall...that" are peppered throughout the Affordable Care Act, leaving HHS in charge of the nuts and bolts of implementing O-care. That stands in stark contrast to the current Democrat-led litigation seeking to micromanage the current Secretary's application of the same authority simply because it threatens the zealots' pet programs.

posted by Open Blogger at 11:00 AM

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