NYU Langone, UPMC to Pay $9.5 Million in Transgender Care Billing Settlements

Two major American hospital networks have agreed to pay a combined $9.5 million to resolve a federal investigation into how they billed for gender-affirming medical care provided to minors, the Justice Department announced on Friday.

Under the settlements, NYU Langone Health will pay $8.5 million and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center will pay $950,000. Both institutions will stop offering transgender-related treatments — including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgical procedures — to patients under 18.

In separate statements, the two systems said the agreements protect the confidentiality of patients, guardians and providers whose privacy had been put at risk by grand jury subpoenas issued during the investigation. Both also said the deals contain explicit denials of wrongdoing or liability.

Pediatric mental health services and gender-affirming care for adults will continue at both institutions, they said.

"We believe this resolution is in the best interests of our patients and their families, protecting them as well as our providers and the institution from prolonged litigation," NYU Langone said. UPMC cited the same reasoning.

NYU Langone, one of New York City's largest hospital networks, had already ended its program for transgender youth in February, pointing to the "current regulatory environment." UPMC did not say whether its youth program remains active.

The settlements are part of a broader push by President Donald Trump's administration to curtail gender-affirming medical treatments for children diagnosed with gender dysphoria — a condition in which a person's sense of self conflicts with their birth sex. The Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services have investigated dozens of hospitals and providers, alleging they submitted false diagnoses to obtain reimbursement from private and government health plans.

Mainstream medical and mental health organizations widely hold that gender-affirming care reduces depression and suicide risk among transgender youth. Critics argue the long-term effects are not fully understood and that minors are too young to make such decisions, even with parental involvement.

Last month, the administration finalized a rule barring two major federal healthcare programs from funding gender-affirming medical care. The Justice Department said Friday's agreements follow similar settlements with Mount Sinai Health System in New York, Texas Children's Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Connecticut Children's Hospital. Exact terms of the latest deals will remain confidential, the department said.