PAINSVILLE, Ohio — This week, Cleveland Clinic and the U.S. Department of Justice reached an agreement that will halt gender-affirming care for minors at the hospital for the next two decades.
As a child, Eli Frohnapfel loved things like Pokémon and video games. But when he hit puberty, something changed.
“Having things on my body that didn't align with my identity was — really took a toll on my mental state,” said Frohnapfel.
At 13, he told his grandmother and later his parents that he wanted to transition. His parents, Hilary and Todd Frohnapfel, said they initially had questions but worked to better understand what their child was experiencing.
“Once he told us some of the things he was going through it made a lot more sense, and I love him no matter what. So, I wanted to do whatever I could to support him,” said Hilary Frohnapfel.
Over the next several years, Eli Frohnapfel socially transitioned and eventually underwent a double mastectomy at age 17. He described the experience as life-changing.
“I had a lot of people there to support me — my friends, my parents, and it was just, it was a really beautiful moment,” said Frohnapfel.
When asked what his life might look like today if he had not been able to access gender-affirming care as a teenager, Frohnapfel said he is not sure he would be alive.
“I’m going to be honest, I don't think I would be here right now, either as the person I am or just in general. Being transgender can be a beautiful experience, but it can also be a really hard process if you're not allowed to be the person that you are inside,” said Frohnapfel.
Now, future patients at Cleveland Clinic will not have access to those treatments under the new agreement with the Department of Justice.
The settlement requires the hospital system to stop providing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and other gender-transition treatments to minors for 20 years. It also includes a $308,000 payment to settle insurance billing allegations and sets aside $2 million for detransition care services.
In a statement, Cleveland Clinic wrote:
“We are pleased to have worked collaboratively toward a resolution related to an unintentional coding issue involving a small number of patients. We remain focused on providing exceptional care to our patients and communities. We have complied and will continue to comply with all federal and state laws."
The settlement is a public document that can be requested through the DOJ.
For Frohnapfel, the agreement represents a significant setback.
“Yeah, two decades is a long time, and I think gender affirming care is lifesaving care, like that's what it is,” said Frohnapfel.
Others view the settlement differently. State Rep. Gary Click supports it.
“I think that they need to just remember our children are not their science experiments,” said Click.
He believes the restrictions should be permanent.
“It puzzles me that there's a 20-year agreement to not break the law. It's like, you know, why don't you just say we're never going to break the law again,” said Click.
Click has been a leading opponent of gender-affirming care, sponsoring the SAFE Act, which bans physicians from providing that care to minors.
“Let's give kids a chance to grow up intact, and if, as an adult, you still feel like that's right for you, then that's your choice, and you're able to process the pros and the cons much more effectively,” said Click.
And while the representative is pleased to see detransition services receiving funding, Frohnapfel and his parents worry about what this means for other families.
“It's heartbreaking to have to watch kids struggle and know who they are, and not be able to be who they are and not be able to get that care,” said Hilary Frohnapfel.
“I think there's going to be so many lives that are lost, and I just really hope that they can fix it or remake the deal, so that people can get access to the care that they need,” said Eli Frohnapfel.
Nadeen Abusada is a Cuyahoga County and immigration reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Instagram NadeenAbusada or email her at Nadeen.Abusada@wews.com.
