Fiscal Note
No City appropriation is required.
Title
Calling on UW-Health and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to Resume Providing Gender-Affirming Health Care to Transgender Youth
Body
WHEREAS, in January of 2026, both UW-Health and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin announced that they would pause the prescription of puberty blockers and hormone therapy for patients under the age of 18 as a part of gender-affirming care; and,
WHEREAS, these announcements cited federal directives from December of 2025, which threatened Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement through the United States Department of
Health and Human Services; and,
WHEREAS, since then, in April of 2026, a federal district court vacated the federal statements used to justify these restrictions and limited the reintroduction of similar directives; and,
WHEREAS, on May 19, 2026, the Wisconsin Trans & Gender Diverse Elected Official Delegation released a statement that called on UW-Health and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to reverse their decisions, reaffirm their commitment to evidence-based care, and rebuild trust with the transgender and gender diverse community; and,
WHEREAS, on Tuesday, June 4, 2026, the Dane County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution calling on UW-Health and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to resume providing gender-affirming health care to transgender and gender diverse youth; and,
WHEREAS, these decisions to pause gender-affirming health care has immediately negatively impacted many patients, many of whom have been forced to seek care elsewhere, which raises costs and increases the difficulty in receiving care; and,
WHEREAS, this disruption of care can result in adverse physical and mental health outcomes for patients; and,
WHEREAS, research has shown substantially higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts among transgender and gender diverse youth who are unable to access desired treatment; and,
WHEREAS, while being transgender is not contingent ...
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