9 Healthcare Organizations Sue The Federal Government Over Deleted Health Data & Websites

A coalition of nine health organizations, including several based in Washington state, has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop the removal of public health data and restore websites that have been taken offline by the executive branch.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, claims that numerous federally maintained websites and databases containing public health and scientific information have been deleted since January 2025. According to the plaintiffs, the removed content includes data on pregnancy risks, opioid-use disorder, the AIDS epidemic, and other health conditions.

The plaintiffs include:

• The Washington State Medical Association, Washington State Nurses Association
• Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
• AcademyHealth, and five other national and regional public health organizations.

The complaint alleges that the removals were "arbitrary, capricious and unreasoned" and violate federal law requiring such information to be publicly accessible.

The suit requests that the federal government restore the removed data and websites, and halt any further deletions of public health resources.

Dr. John Bramhall, president of the Washington State Medical Association, said in a statement that the deletions removed trusted resources used by healthcare providers in patient care.

Justin Gill, DNP, APRN, RN, president of the Washington State Nurses Association, stated that lack of access to up-to-date data poses challenges to evidence-based care. Dr. Beth Ebel, president of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, raised concerns about the disappearance of pediatric health guidance and early alert data.

The plaintiffs assert that the removed websites were funded by taxpayer dollars and widely used by healthcare professionals, researchers, and public health officials. They claim the removals impact efforts to address health issues ranging from infectious disease outbreaks to behavioral health trends.

The federal government has not issued a public response to the lawsuit as of the time of publication. The case, Washington State Medical Association et al. v. Kennedy et al., remains pending.

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