Kaiser Permanente — one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States — will suspend all sex-altering surgeries for patients under the age of 19 nationwide, according to an internal memo first shared by Billboard Chris on X.
The California-based health system operates 40 hospitals and more than 600 medical offices across nine states and Washington, D.C., serving over 12 million patients. Kaiser controls both the insurance and clinical care arms of its operation and employs over 220,000 staff, including approximately 100,000 doctors and nurses.
The decision follows Executive Order 14187, signed by President Donald Trump on January 28, 2025, which states:
“It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”
The order defines such practices as “chemical and surgical mutilation,” including the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries that attempt to alter or remove a child’s sexual organs to “destroy their natural biological functions.”
Shortly after the order’s release, dozens of subpoenas were issued to hospitals and clinics across the country, including some of the largest providers of sex-altering services.
The FTC convened a federal workshop on July 9 titled “The Dangers of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Minors” to explore whether hospitals — including Kaiser — had exposed families to “false or unsupported claims” that could violate federal consumer protection laws.
In an internal memo excerpt posted to X by Billboard Chris on July 23, Kaiser Permanente CEO Greg Adams reportedly wrote:
“Since January, there has been significant focus by the federal government on gender-affirming care, specifically for patients under the age of 19. … In response to these federal actions, many health systems and clinicians across the country have paused or discontinued providing gender-affirming care for adolescents. … After significant deliberation and consultation with internal and external experts including our physicians, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause gender-affirming surgical treatment for patients under the age of 19 in our hospitals and surgical centers. This pause is effective August 29, 2025. All other gender-affirming care treatment remains available.”
Although the policy halts only surgical procedures, Kaiser will continue offering puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and psychological services to minors identifying as “trans.”
Federal Crackdown: Kaiser Named in Fraud Seminar
The decision comes just weeks after a July 9 federal seminar hosted by the Federal Trade Commission, where Trump administration officials publicly named Kaiser Permanente and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) as examples of “deceptive practices” in sex-altering care. During the livestreamed event, patient records from Kaiser were displayed on-screen to support allegations that the procedures constitute consumer fraud. This move stunned healthcare officials and heightened the hospital system’s legal risk.
“The administration’s campaign now includes not just the FBI, but the Federal Trade Commission, using tactics that mirror the federal pursuit of pharmaceutical company wrongdoing over the last two decades,” The Lund Report noted in a recent article.
A DOJ official confirmed ongoing investigations into hospitals, clinics, and drug manufacturers that offer sex-altering surgeries to minors — potentially exposing providers like Kaiser to civil and criminal prosecution.
Despite a Kaiser spokesperson claiming the company has not received a formal inquiry from the FTC or DOJ, its appearance in the FTC’s July presentation strongly suggests otherwise. Kaiser’s exposure may be more advanced than it has publicly acknowledged.
In Democratic states like Oregon and California — where state laws mandate access to these procedures — health systems now find themselves trapped between state mandates and federal enforcement threats. Serving patients, as state law requires, could now result in funding cuts, lawsuits, or criminal charges under federal rules.
“The growing division between federal and state policy toward approaches to gender-affirming care has created a challenging, stressful situation for our patients … as well as for our clinicians,” Kaiser said in a statement.
Critics Applaud, Activists Panic
Critics of sex-altering surgeries for minors have praised the Trump administration.
“Kaiser Permanente, the gender clinic that destroyed my childhood, has confirmed they will be HALTING transgender surgeries for patients under the age of 19 nationwide, effective next month!” said wrote Chloe Cole, in a post shared via X, a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Kaiser. “We are winning! Thank you to the Trump administration for protecting kids!!!”
The Center for American Liberty, which represents Cole in her lawsuit, called the decision a “monumental step forward” and vowed to continue legal action against what it describes as abusive medical practices carried out on minors under the guise of “gender identity.”
Meanwhile, leftist advocacy groups have expressed alarm. According to The Lund Report, LGBTQ+ activists and Oregon-based providers have reported widespread panic among patients and staff, especially as records have been seized or subpoenaed.
“Terror,” said one Oregon-based activist. “There is a lot of fear — personal existential fear and this broader community-wide hopelessness.”
Even Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, located in a state with strong legal protections for “trans” care, announced this month it would shut down its Center for Transyouth Health and Development, citing growing legal pressure.
Other major systems — including Stanford Medicine and Children’s National Hospital in D.C. — have similarly paused sex-altering surgery for minors under 19.
The Kaiser announcement marks a turning point in the national battle over sex-altering surgeries for children, signaling that even the largest healthcare institutions are retreating under legal fire.