Corewell, Largest Michigan Provider, Resumes Trans Youth Care Despite Illegal Trump EO

On Wednesday, the hospital system announced that it was resuming gender affirming care after a brief pause due to Trump's executive order attempting to ban it for those under 19.

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In an announcement on Wednesday, Corewell Health, the largest healthcare provider in Michigan, stated that it would resume gender-affirming care for transgender youth under the age of 19. The decision follows a temporary halt in services to new patients after President Trump issued an executive order unlawfully claiming the authority to withhold federal funding from hospitals providing such care. Corewell Health is the first—and the largest—hospital system to reverse course after initially pausing treatment, a move that sparked nationwide protests against other healthcare providers that have yet to reinstate care.

The hospital, in a statement released Wednesday, said that its decision was always meant to be temporary, and that decisions around transgender healthcare best belong to patients and their doctors.

See the statement here:

"We are lifting our pause on new hormone therapies for pediatric patients seeking gender affirming care. Care decisions are best made between physicians and their patients and families.

We briefly paused beginning these therapies to allow us time to assess the potential impact that recent policy changes might have on our patients and their health. Contrary to some inaccurate reports, we never suspended any gender affirming care for any of our patients."

The decision to reinstate care is huge for Michigan transgender patients. The hospital system is the largest in the state, employing over 60,000 people. The LGBTQIA+ adolescent page for one of the member hospitals states, and stated through the closure, “The adolescent and young adult medicine team at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital takes a holistic, individualized approach to patient care. We guide Michigan patients and their families through comprehensive education and an evidence-based approach. We know this is a challenging time for many of our patients and their families. No matter what is happening around us, we will always remain committed to providing high-quality care for all of our patients.”

The decision comes after President Donald Trump’s executive order attempting to ban care for those under the age of 19 years of age. Despite the order lacking a clear enforcement mechanism beyond funding threats and conflicting with established law in many states where these hospitals operate, several hospitals across the United States used it as justification to stop providing gender affirming care for transgender youth. This in turn has led to mass protests at hospitals such as UVA, Children’s National, and NYU-Langone.

Local LGBTQ+ organizations in Michigan were outspoken against Corewell Health’s decision to pause care, including Equality Michigan. The group is now praising the hospital system for reversing its decision. “We see this decision as one that’s family-centered, equality-centered, and science-centered. The pain and confusion endured by families and young people who had appointments cancelled was tragic and avoidable. The best time to make the right decision was yesterday, but the next best time to make the right decision was today. So, we extend a thank you to the Corewell leadership team for righting the ship,” said Equality Michigan Executive Director Erin Knott in a statement.

Erin In The Morning has received unconfirmed reports that other hospital systems are also considering reopening gender-affirming care. Meanwhile, multiple lawsuits challenging the executive order that triggered the bans are moving forward, with the first hearing scheduled for tomorrow. A swift injunction could pave the way for hospitals to resume care—though some may still require public pressure to act. Until then, the lives of transgender youth remain in limbo, caught between political maneuvering and the urgent need for medical care.