BILLINGS — Billings Clinic has stopped offering some gender-affirming care services after a specialty provider left the health system, forcing patients who relied on those services to find new providers and prompting concerns about access across the region.
Care options shrink after provider departure
The change, confirmed in a written statement from the clinic, comes after the departure of a specialty provider who had delivered gender-affirming care. Billings Clinic declined an on-camera interview but said it "does not have a policy that prohibits providers from discussing gender affirming care with adult patients" and that it will refer affected patients elsewhere.
Longtime patients said the loss of services from one of the region's larger health systems leaves a notable gap. Amanda Nelson, a local transgender patient, said she received a letter notifying her that her provider was no longer with Billings Clinic and that she would need to find a new clinician.
"It's hard on the community because it cuts jobs, like they eliminate staff, special programs,"
Nelson described the change as affecting more than individual care — she said it reverberates through the community and the workforce that supported those services.
Where patients will turn
With Billings Clinic scaling back those services, patients will have to rely on smaller providers in the area. Reported alternatives include Planned Parenthood and Alliance Health and Wellness, which continue to offer gender-affirming care in some capacity.
- Billings Clinic: no longer offering some gender-affirming services following the provider's departure; referring patients elsewhere.
- Planned Parenthood: cited as a remaining local option for patients.
- Alliance Health and Wellness: also listed as an available local provider for gender-affirming services.
The immediate effect is that patients must secure new primary or specialty care relationships, which can mean delays in treatment, interruptions to hormone therapy management, or the need to travel farther for care. The clinic's statement indicated adult patients remain able to discuss gender-affirming care with providers where available, but it did not specify whether the change was temporary or how long referrals to other clinics might continue.
State and national backdrop
The local development arrives amid an ongoing national and state-level debate over gender-affirming care. On the national stage, political leaders have pushed restrictions on certain treatments for young people. In Montana, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 99 in 2023, a measure limiting some gender-affirming medical treatments for minors; a state judge later blocked enforcement of that law.
Republican state representative Kerri Seekins-Crowe, who helped lead the legislative effort, has argued for focusing on mental health services rather than what she described as surgical interventions. In comments to reporters, she said: "If we want to help folks, that it would be in the mental health area, not necessarily in the plastic surgery area with that."
Advocates and patients say access to comprehensive care includes medical and mental health components and that interruptions to clinical services from major providers can leave patients reliant on smaller clinics with more limited capacity.
| Provider | Reported Status |
|---|---|
| Billings Clinic | Stopped some gender-affirming services after specialty provider left; referring patients |
| Planned Parenthood | Listed as remaining local option |
| Alliance Health and Wellness | Listed as remaining local option |
For many in Billings, the loss highlights how changes in staffing at a single institution can have ripple effects on access to care. Patients who depended on the clinic must now navigate transfers, find new clinicians, or seek services from smaller providers that may have less capacity to absorb new patients quickly.
The Billings Clinic statement did not provide specifics on how many patients are affected or whether the clinic plans to recruit another specialty provider. Clinic officials also did not answer questions on whether services would be reinstated.
As the situation develops, local patients and advocacy groups may press for clearer information about continuity of care, wait times at remaining clinics and whether additional providers will expand services to meet increased demand in the Billings area.
WE NEWS will continue to monitor the provider landscape and any updates from Billings Clinic, local health centers and state officials.
