HHS places children's hospital under federal investigation for transgender treatment of minors

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Friday the opening of a federal investigation against the Children's Hospital of Seattle for medical treatments it provides to transgender minors. The move is part of the Trump administration's efforts to end such practices nationwide and could result in the loss of federal funding for the institution.

According to an HHS posting on Platform X, the hospital was referred to the Office of Inspector General for "failure to meet professional recognized standards of health care." The referral is supported by a new statement issued by the secretary of HHS,Robert Kennedy Jr., rejecting medical treatments directed at transgender minors.

HHS statement and possible sanctions.

The statement contends that medical care for transgender individuals - including hormone treatments and surgeries - "neither safe nor effective" and does not meet recognized professional standards of medical care. As a result of the investigation, Seattle Children's Hospital could loseaccess to Medicare and Medicaid funding, two key federal programs for funding the hospital system.

History of federal oversight.

Seattle Children's Hospital operates a clinic specializing in minors with gender dysphoria. This program has been under review by the Trump Administration, which has questioned this type of medical practice on minors.

Federal oversight over the institution is not recent. Recently disclosed court documents indicate that the hospital succeeded earlier this year in quashing a subpoena from the Department of Justice requesting highly sensitive and personal information about the providers involved in these treatments. In addition, the Administration withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health after the agency signaled that it would not fund research based on "gender identity."