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Advocate Health Care cuts gender-affirming care for minors at Illinois hospitals: report

Advocate Health Care is the latest hospital system to cut its gender-affirming care services for minors in the wake of actions by President Trump to withhold funding.

In a statement sent to the Chicago Tribune, Advocate said they have "revised our policy to no longer provide or prescribe gender-affirming care medications for patients under age 19," and said the change in policy will allow "our hospitals, clinics and pharmacies to continue caring for all patients' health needs in the changing federal environment."

Advocate operates 11 hospitals and 200 other health care centers in Illinois, making it one of the largest health care providers in the state.

It is the latest hospital system to stop offering gender care to minors after President Trump issued two executive orders at the start of his second term declaring the federal government's policy recognizes "two sexes, male and the female," and threatening to withhold federal funding and research grants for medical institutions offering gender-affirming care to minors.

Other hospitals in Chicago have also changed their programs in response to these orders. UIHealth, UChicago Medicine, Rush University Medical Center and Lurie Children's Hospital have all stopped offering gender-affirming surgeries to minors, and Rush and UChicago Medicine have also stopped providing gender-affirming medication care to patients under 18.

CBS News Chicago has reached out to Advocate Health Care about their decision and are waiting to hear back. 

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