Protect Transgender Youth Healthcare Access in Our State

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to protect transgender youth in our state from losing access to medically necessary healthcare. California Attorney General Rob Bonta recently filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego after the hospital abruptly closed its Center for Gender Affirming Care on February 6, 2025, abandoning approximately 1,450 patients. Rady's decision left families like Sasha's in crisis. After months of navigating insurance approvals to secure treatment for her trans child, Sasha was told by Rady that "they simply don't do it anymore." She explained: "If my child had a different diagnosis, they would likely have a surgery date tomorrow. But because of who my child is, the door was closed." This is discrimination, plain and simple. Bonta's legal strategy is particularly instructive. Rather than relying on federal equal rights protections that may no longer be reliable after the Supreme Court's Skrmetti decision, he sued for breach of contract under California state law. When Rady's parent company merged with Children's Hospital of Orange County, they agreed to conditions set by the Attorney General's office. By abandoning gender-affirming care, Rady violated this merger agreement. This approach keeps the case in state courts, beyond federal interference. Rady justified its decision by citing "escalating federal actions" and concerns about participating in Medicaid and Medicare. However, there is no federal law barring gender-affirming care for trans youth. Hospitals are preemptively capitulating to political pressure rather than standing by their patients and medical standards of care. I urge you to work with our Attorney General to develop similar protections in our state. Explore merger conditions for healthcare providers, strengthen anti-discrimination enforcement, and make clear that our state will not abandon vulnerable children to political intimidation. Approximately 600 people protested outside Rady on January 24, 2025, because families know what is at stake. Our state must protect these children too.