California Judge Orders Temporary Restraining for Transgender Treatment

A judge in California is urging a hospital in San Diego to maintain a temporary restraining order, allowing the continuation of transgender treatment for minors. This decision arrives amidst contrasting responses from hospitals in California and New York regarding President Trump’s executive order that could reduce federal funding for such treatments.

Last week, San Diego Superior Court Judge Matthew Branagh agreed to extend the restraining order for an additional 15 days. This extension allows Rady Children’s Health to keep offering hormone therapy and puberty-blocking medications to minors, even amidst the Trump administration’s efforts to ban these treatments and the associated threats to federal funding.

Interestingly, this order follows a New York City hospital’s announcement this week that it would cease its transgender youth health program, attributing this decision partially to the “current regulatory environment” stemming from Trump’s executive order against transgender medical procedures for minors.

This executive order was signed soon after Trump took office and aims to halt treatment for transgender minors. In December, the Department of Health and Human Services suggested new regulations threatening to cut Medicare and Medicaid funding for hospitals that perform “sex denial procedures” on minors.

NYU Langone Health, a major hospital network in New York City, cited the “current regulatory environment” as their reason for discontinuing services. On the other hand, Rady’s legal team argued in court that continuing treatment, even temporarily, could place the hospital at significant risk, jeopardizing essential Medicaid and Medicare funding.

Judge Branagh remarked that Rady and other medical facilities seem to be “caught in the middle,” reflecting the increased scrutiny from the Trump administration. However, he reassured that any concerns about funding could be swiftly addressed. He stated that the court could hold a hearing within 24 hours if notified by HHS.

Despite the judge’s assurances that the extension would last until March 15, the hospital’s lawyers expressed concerns. They mentioned that proceeding with treatment even briefly could present a “catastrophic risk” for the institution.

According to various reports, more than 40 hospitals across the U.S. have altered their practices by following government guidance, thereby limiting treatment for minors. Recently, NYU Langone announced the tough decision to discontinue its Transgender Youth Health Program, citing regulatory pressures and changes in management.

They emphasized their commitment to assist patients amid this transition while reaffirming that pediatric mental health programs would remain active. Earlier, officials at San Diego’s Rady Hospital stated they would also halt treatments for minors, following the Trump administration’s guidelines, which led California’s Attorney General to initiate a lawsuit earlier this year.