Tacoma Children’s Hospital Closes Gender Clinic Despite Legal Protections Remaining in Place

Officials say providing gender-care-related medical treatment to minors puts them at risk for government investigation and enforcement, including potential cuts to Medicare and Medicaid payments for MultiCare’s entire health system. Nearly three-quarters of MultiCare patients depend on Medicare and Medicaid. “Loss of this funding not only undermines MultiCare’s ability to operate, but more critically, threatens patients’ access to essential care in every region that MultiCare offers care,” the statement read.

Joanne Levy, executive director of the Rainbow Center, which provides LGBTQIA advocacy in Tacoma, said she believes MultiCare’s decision was premature. The health system may have received help from grants or the private sector to stay open if federal funding is cut, she said. “There was no threat to them losing funding; it was just a preemptive strike. They have left families and marginalized communities completely vulnerable and at risk.”

“It was incredibly disappointing, especially right now where there are so limited options for trans youth to be able to get services and assistance,” said Mary Woodard, Rainbow Center education manager. “Why that is so important for youth is they are able to get puberty blockers or hormone blockers that are able to pause their physical development until they are able to make some better decisions about their body.”

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown sued the Trump administration in early 2025 over an executive order that would block federal funding for pediatric gender-affirming care. A federal judge in Seattle ruled that executive order is discriminatory, and a preliminary injunction blocks the order. “Gender-affirming care for adolescents and adults remains legal and protected in Washington state,” AG spokesperson Mike Faulk wrote. “While the Trump administration has continued to pressure hospitals to cease the provision of this life-saving care, no law or rule currently in effect bans gender-affirming care for anyone.”

The closure raises questions about whether legal protections matter when healthcare systems fear federal retaliation. MultiCare is closing despite a court order blocking the administration’s funding threat, suggesting the hospital believes the legal protection may not hold or that the risk isn’t worth taking.