Open Letter to CHOC/Radys
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Dear Rady’s and CHOC Leadership: Patrick Frias, M.D and Kimberly Chavalas Cripe
OCGAPNET, Pride at the Pier, and Trans Family Support Services were profoundly shocked to learn a few days ago from our community that Rady’s/CHOC have quietly announced an abrupt end as of 2/6/26 to all gender-affirming care (GAC) for patients. The reason for this end of care appears to be the threat of the CMS rule changes wherein hospitals providing GAC to minors will lose their Medicare and Medicaid funding. These rules are not expected to go into effect until April or May, even without legal challenges. Additionally, these CMS rules are already facing significant legal challenges, notably from Lambda Legal and the ACLU. There is significant reason to believe that these legal challenges will delay the federal government from blocking funding to Rady’s.
Our children rely on consistent, affirming care to live healthy, stable, hopeful lives. To just end that care, without warning, is unconscionably cruel. It is a breach of trust, a violation of medical ethics, and a direct threat to our kids’ mental health and safety.
It is also illegal. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has made it clear to healthcare providers like CHOC and Radys that “California law prohibits healthcare providers and insurers from discriminating or denying healthcare services to a patient for being transgender, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, or intersex, or due to a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.” And as you presumably know, medical organizations worldwide—including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the Endocrine Society—support gender-affirming care as lifesaving and medically necessary. Abruptly removing access can heighten anxiety, depression, self-harm risk, and overall distress for transgender youth, who already face disproportionate mental-health challenges due to societal discrimination. We know these truths and yet you have, nonetheless, chosen to discontinue care in spite of them.
OCGAPNET, Pride at the Pier, TFSS and our partners demand that CHOC and Rady’s reverse course on this decision immediately. We call on you, CHOC and Rady’s leaders, to provide:
An immediate meeting between leaders and the impacted families.
A commitment to families in the system to not pre-capitulate before it’s legally necessary.
A formalized plan for continuity of care in the event that GAC might be wound down.
Parents should never have to fight their own medical care organization to protect their children’s health. We refuse to stand by while CHOC and Rady’s preemptively bow to political pressure instead of standing up for our kids. California law is clear: our children deserve stability, respect, and the same medically appropriate care as any other child.
We look forward to your reply,
OCGAPNET, Pride at the Pier, and Trans Family Support Services
January 23rd, 2026
Contact Information:
Brit Cervantes, OCGAPNet | Brit@genderaffirmingprofessionals.org
Kanan Durham, Pride at the Pier | prideatthepier@gmail.com
Kathie Moelig, Trans Family Support Services | kathie@transfamilysos.org
