New York, Pittsburgh hospitals stop trans procedures for kids

New York University Langone Hospitals and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center recently agreed to stop providing sex-rejecting procedures to children. The hospitals' agreements with the Justice Department cover both hormone interventions and surgical procedures, the department said in a news release. The hospital systems, which are some of the largest in the nation, also agreed to pay $8.5 million and $950,000, respectively. It was unclear whether the money would go to the Justice Department or elsewhere.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center told WORLD in an email that the agreement didn't include any admission of wrongdoing or liability. The center chose to resolve the matter to avoid prolonged litigation and exposure of patient information, according to the statement. WORLD also contacted the NYU hospital system for comment and will update this story with any comments received.

The now-resolved investigation stemmed from the allegations that the hospital systems were violating federal laws, including by using false diagnostic codes to receive federal healthcare reimbursement and payment from private insurers for transgender procedures. Both hospital systems cooperated with the investigation and assisted in federal probes into other providers, the Justice Department said in a news report.

The agreement follows similar resolutions with New York’s Mount Sinai Health System, Texas Children’s Hospital, Connecticut Children’s Hospital, and the Cleveland Clinic, according to the Justice Department. Over 40 hospital systems have ended transgender procedures for children since President Donald Trump’s second term began, according to Attorney General Todd Blanche. However, some chose to do so independently of Justice Department action.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Weller’s report on how parents and teachers teamed up against California policies on students’ gender confusion.