Six Major US Hospitals Agree to Halt Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth in Deals with DOJ
At least six major hospitals across the United States have reached agreements with the Department of Justice to stop providing gender-affirming hormones and surgeries to transgender minors, according to sources familiar with the deals. The agreements, which also include financial payments to the federal government, bring an end to a wide-ranging DOJ investigation into potential legal violations related to billing practices and consumer fraud. The hospitals involved have not all been named, but NYU Langone Health and UPMC were specifically cited in the resolutions for their cooperation with the investigation.
The DOJ acknowledged that both NYU and UPMC took significant steps entitling them to credit for cooperation, including ongoing assistance in the department’s investigation of other entities that may be violating federal law by providing what the government termed “sex-rejecting procedures” to minors. Throughout the investigation, the hospitals remained cooperative and solutions-driven, according to statements from the department. The agreements mark a significant shift in the landscape of transgender healthcare for youth, as these institutions will no longer offer puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or surgical interventions to minors seeking gender-affirming care.
This development comes despite widespread support for gender-affirming care from major medical organizations. The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics are among the groups that endorse keeping such treatments available, citing evidence that they are medically necessary and can be life-saving for transgender youth. The hospitals’ decisions to cease these services have sparked concern among advocates and healthcare providers who fear that similar actions could spread to other institutions, further limiting access to care for transgender adolescents.
The agreements also highlight the broader political and legal climate surrounding transgender healthcare in the U.S., where several states have already restricted or banned gender-affirming care for minors. While the DOJ’s investigation focused on billing and consumer fraud, the outcome effectively enforces a halt to these services at major medical centers. As part of the deals, the hospitals have agreed to make payments to the federal government, though the exact amounts have not been disclosed. The long-term impact on transgender youth and their families remains uncertain, but the move signals a growing trend of institutional retreat from providing gender-affirming care amid increasing federal scrutiny
Shimanta Das 
