KALAMAZOO, MI – Equality Michigan is discouraged and deeply concerned by Corewell Health’s decision to end access to medically necessary, evidence-based transgender health care for young people. Corewell now joins the University of Michigan as the second major healthcare institution in our state to abandon trans young people, leaving families with fewer and fewer options in a moment when stability and care are needed most.
Earlier this year, when Corewell announced their intent to end this care, Equality Michigan worked quickly to organize and advocate to help ensure that transgender healthcare services for young people were restored. Today’s decision represents not only a reversal of that progress, but also a betrayal of the trust placed in Michigan’s healthcare institutions by patients and their families.
Erin Knott, Executive Director of Equality Michigan, issued the following statement:
“It is devastating to see yet another healthcare giant turn its back on transgender youth and their families. Corewell’s decision underscores a disturbing pattern. Institutions that should be at the forefront of providing compassionate, evidence-based care are instead retreating under political pressure, leaving vulnerable young people to shoulder the harm.
This is not just a matter of policy, it’s a matter of lives. Families who once relied on Corewell now face having their care taken away, and trans youth are left with the message that their health and well-being are expendable.
Let us be clear: gender-affirming care remains legal in Michigan. And Equality Michigan will not stop fighting alongside providers, advocates, and families to expand access, push back against stigma, and create a future where transgender youth can count on the care, dignity, and respect they deserve.”
If you are impacted by a healthcare outage in Michigan, please reach out to us at ezanotti@equalitymi.org.