Texas Children’s Hospital has officially opened its detransition clinic, fulfilling a central requirement of its May settlement with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, his office announced.
The clinic provides medical care for patients who previously received gender-transition interventions. Patients up to age 21 may receive detransition-related medical care; patients older than 21 may receive related obstetric and gynecologic care. Because services are multidisciplinary, patients may be seen at different Texas Children’s locations based on their needs and care-team recommendations.
Under the settlement, Texas Children’s must fund the clinic’s services for five years, allowing patients to receive care at no cost, and promote the clinic on its website.
The agreement also requires the hospital to pay $10 million to resolve Paxton’s claims under the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act. The attorney general’s office alleged that Texas Children’s improperly billed Texas Medicaid for gender-transition interventions. The settlement also required the permanent termination of privileges for multiple physicians and a change to the hospital’s bylaws stating that performing gender-transition interventions triggers automatic relinquishment of medical staff privileges.
Paxton’s office said the settlement followed an investigation by its Healthcare Program Enforcement Division.
“In accordance with my settlement with Texas Children’s Hospital, the nation’s first-ever Detransition Clinic is now open,” Paxton said. He added that he would work to ensure the clinic provides care and support to patients.
