“The goal of ending ‘gender-affirming care’ is not in and of itself an ‘improper’ policy objective,” Judge Carlos Bea wrote.

An appellate court said the Justice Department can continue investigating QueerDoc, a telehealth service providing care to transgender people across the country.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said a lower court had wrongly blocked a subpoena from Justice Department investigators seeking records that included patient data, insurance claims, billing records, and communications with pharmaceutical companies. The subpoena was one of more than 20 similar demands for information issued to hospitals and clinics.