New York Attorney General Letitia James isn’t messing around. She stands against her hospital’s recent decision to stop providing all gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth at one of Manhattan’s largest hospitals. Her office ordered NYU Langone to quickly resume critical care to avert devastating public health consequences. This means making hormone therapies and puberty blockers accessible to all patients under the age of 19. This directive comes in light of the hospital’s recent decision to end these treatments. They’re under constant funding threats by the federal government.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced plans to cut federal Medicaid funding. In effect, these cuts are an assault on hospitals that offer gender-affirming care to minors. These proposals haven’t formally changed federal law—at least not yet. They have already forced over 40 hospitals around the country to cease sterilizing transgender youth. NYU Langone publicly communicated its decision to stop providing gender-affirming care, claiming the move was due to fears of future cuts in funding.
Letitia James put it well when she said that cutting off access to public transportation in this way puts our most vulnerable at risk. Her office pointed out that much of what the federal government is proposing does not relieve medical institutions of responsibility under New York state law. These laws force them to ensure access to all essential healthcare. As Darsana Srinivasan, chief of Letitia James’ health care bureau, stressed in the amicus brief, the stakes of cutting off transgender healthcare are lethal.
“The sudden discontinuation of medically necessary transgender healthcare can have severe, negative health outcomes.” – Darsana Srinivasan
On February 25, James’ office followed up with a letter to NYU Langone. They threatened that if they did not follow their preliminary order, there would be subsequent action. The letter was intentionally critical of the Attorney General’s expressed disapproval of the hospital’s choice to stop providing care for this minority group.
“Accordingly, the Attorney General is extremely concerned by your institution’s decision to cease the provision of care to this vulnerable, minority population.” – Darsana Srinivasan
Scott Leibowitz, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and board member for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, hailed the federal government’s move. He stressed the broader impacts those actions would make. He cautioned that if such a precedent was allowed to stand, it would be a danger to access to healthcare in all medical specialties.
“This sets a very dangerous precedent for all areas of health care, if the government can cherry-pick one area of medicine to use to withhold necessary funding from entire groups of people.” – Dr. Scott Leibowitz
Acknowledging the unfolding crisis, NYU Langone affirmed its dedication to helping patients through this transition. The hospital’s administration affirmed that it is working diligently to manage changes in its treatment offerings while addressing patient needs.
