U.S. hospitals reach settlements to end gender transition procedures for minors

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are continuing efforts to restrict medical interventions for sex transitions in minors. Since May, six major hospital systems have entered into settlement agreements to cease providing procedures such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors.

Recent settlements include NYU Langone Hospitals, which agreed to pay $8.5 million, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), which agreed to pay $950,000. Other hospitals that have reached agreements include Texas Children’s Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Connecticut Children’s Hospital, and Mount Sinai Health System.

The HHS has pushed back against criticism from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which described the trend as a crisis for families and transgender youth. HHS officials defended the restrictions, stating that protecting children from irreversible procedures is not discrimination and citing a peer-reviewed review that found “extremely weak evidence” for the benefits of gender-affirming care for young people.