A transgender man says a Dignity Health hospital in California allegedly canceled his hysterectomy a day before the scheduled operation because of the system's faith-based policies, according to local media reports. It's the latest challenge against the Catholic system's ethical and religious directives.
Evan Michael Minton alleged that Mercy San Juan Medical Center suddenly canceled his surgery on Sunday after he informed hospital staff that he was transgender during his preoperative visit, a local NBC affiliate reported.
The hospital subsequently refused to allow his doctor to perform the hysterectomy, due to the health system's Catholic directive, according to KCRA.
Mercy San Juan and Dignity Health declined to comment on Minton's situation, but said they do not provide sterilization services unless the patient has a serious medical condition that cannot be alleviated with another treatment.
“In general, it is our practice not to provide sterilization services at Dignity Health's Catholic facilities in accordance with the ethical and religious directives for Catholic health care services and the medical staff bylaws,” the hospital said in a statement.
It's unclear if Minton is considering suing the hospital over the refused treatment. San Francisco-based Dignity Health is currently fighting a lawsuit from one of its nurses who alleges the health system won't cover his gender transition-related care. It's the first case of its kind in the country, and was filed just a month after HHS issued a final rule prohibiting providers from refusing healthcare or health coverage based on sex and gender identity.
The treatment refusal came just before the CMS declined to issue a blanket ruling on gender reassignment coverage nationally. On Tuesday, the agency said local Medicare Administrative Contractors, or MACs, should continue to make coverage determinations, as there isn't enough clinical data to warrant a national coverage determination.
