Baystate Health will no longer prescribe hormones to trans youth

Baystate Health is reportedly ending its hormone prescriptions for transgender youth under 18 to protect its Medicaid and Medicare funding.

In a letter to parents and guardians earlier this month, shared with The Boston Globe, the Springfield health care system said it would continue to offer mental health counseling for these adolescents but would stop prescribing gender-affirming hormone medications and puberty-blocking drugs.

According to the letter, it will transfer the patients’ medications to Transhealth or another provider of the patient’s choice. 

“This decision offers patients the specialized expertise and continuity of care they need and deserve and reflects the evolving regulatory landscape that threatens hundreds of millions of dollars in hospital Medicaid and Medicare funding,” Baystate said in a separate statement to the Globe. 

Baystate Health told the Globe that nearly 70% of its patients rely on Medicaid or Medicare. 

Neither Baystate Health nor Transhealth responded to a request for additional information on Wednesday. 

The move is the latest in a series of pullbacks of gender-affirming care for minors in New England, as health care centers reassess services amid increasing federal and state restrictions. 

In October, Fenway Health, a cornerstone of Boston’s LGBTQ+ community, announced it would stop providing gender-affirming care for patients under 19, also citing it as a response to new federal requirements tied to funding. In August, New Hampshire became the first state in New England to ban gender-affirming care medication for minors.

Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime, and business in the New England region.