6 Hospitals Halt Youth Gender Care, Pay Fines in Trump Justice Department Deal
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 22
6 Hospitals Halt Youth Gender Care, Pay Fines in Trump Justice Department Deal
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 22
Summary
At least six major U.S. hospitals agreed to stop providing gender-transition treatment to adolescents, pay fines and, in some cases, offer free follow-up care for former patients.
The settlements end a Justice Department investigation into alleged billing abuses and consumer fraud tied to the treatments, with Attorney General Todd Blanche saying more agreements are being pursued.
Hospitals named in deals reached from May through last week include Texas Children’s, Cleveland Clinic, Connecticut Children’s, Mount Sinai, NYU Langone and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
The agreements reach beyond conservative states into New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, and advocates say they give a sense of finality after many hospitals had already suspended care under federal pressure.
The deals mark a broader Trump administration win after it used legal and financial pressure since early 2025 to curb youth gender treatments in 24 states where they remained permitted.
How will massive multi-million dollar fraud settlements fundamentally reshape the future of pediatric healthcare across the nation?
Could the creation of federally mandated detransition clinics signal a completely new era of intervention in standard medical practices?
What happens to patients abruptly losing medical access as federal billing probes force major hospitals to permanently alter care?
Pediatric Gender-Affirming Care in Crisis: How 2026 DOJ Settlements and Federal Policy Are Reshaping U.S. Healthcare
Overview
Beginning in 2025, the Trump administration launched a sweeping federal campaign against pediatric gender-affirming care, starting with an executive order and DOJ investigations. The DOJ issued subpoenas to over 20 hospitals, seeking confidential records, which led to legal battles and, after a key court ruling, pressured major hospital systems like NYU Langone and UPMC to settle and immediately halt care for minors. New federal funding rules threatened to cut off Medicare and Medicaid for any hospital providing such care, causing even hospitals in supportive states to shut down their programs. This crackdown left hundreds of young patients suddenly without care, triggering severe mental health crises and widespread confusion among families and providers.