Children's Minnesota pauses gender care after HHS Medicaid funding threat

Children's Minnesota announced February 3, 2026, that it would pause prescribing puberty blockers and hormones for patients under 18, effective February 27, citing federal threats to its Medicare and Medicaid certification. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. published proposed rules in December 2025 that would strip certification from hospitals providing gender-affirming care to minors, threatening all services at Minnesota's only comprehensive pediatric hospital. Medicaid covered 48% of 2023 admissions. A 21-state lawsuit led by Attorney General Keith Ellison was pending in federal court.