Mount Sinai agrees to end pediatric gender transition procedures in Justice Department settlement

Mount Sinai Health System has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice to end all pediatric gender-transition procedures, including puberty blockers and surgeries. To resolve the federal probe, the New York hospital network will pay a fine and dedicate $2 million to fund free restorative care for individuals who underwent these treatments as minors. The deal is part of a nationwide Trump administration crackdown on pediatric gender-affirming care, following similar agreements with major hospitals in Texas, Ohio, and Connecticut.

Mount Sinai settlement terms

• ▪Mount Sinai Health System denied all allegations of wrongdoing, and the settlement agreement contains no determination of liability.
• ▪Mount Sinai Health System agreed to end its provision of pediatric gender-transition care, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures, under a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice announced on September 4, 2026.
• ▪Under the September 4, 2026 agreement, Mount Sinai Health System agreed to pay a monetary penalty and dedicate $2 million to provide free medical care to individuals who received gender-transition treatments as minors.

DOJ nationwide hospital investigation

• ▪Prior to the Mount Sinai Health System settlement, the Department of Justice reached similar agreements to end pediatric gender-transition procedures with Texas Children’s Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and Connecticut Children’s Hospital.
• ▪The Department of Justice investigation into Mount Sinai Health System was part of a broader nationwide probe examining potential violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the False Claims Act by pediatric gender-transition providers.
• ▪An August 2026 Department of Health and Human Services report titled 'Wolves in White Coats' alleged that pediatric gender treatment practitioners may have committed tens of millions of dollars in insurance fraud.

Trump administration enforcement policy

• ▪The Department of Justice nationwide investigation stems from a January 2025 presidential order titled 'Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation' and an April 2025 memorandum issued by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.
• ▪Since early 2025, the Trump administration has utilized executive orders, investigations, and threats to cut off federal funding to pressure U.S. hospitals into closing their adolescent gender-transition programs.

Detransition care funding

• ▪Under a May 2026 agreement, Texas Children's Hospital agreed to open the nation's first detransition clinic, while Connecticut Children's Hospital committed $500,000 for restorative care under an August 2026 deal.
• ▪The $2 million committed by Mount Sinai Health System will fund free medical care, also described as detransition or restorative care, for individuals experiencing harmful consequences from treatments they received as children.

New York transgender youth demographics

• ▪In response to local demand, several New York hospitals had previously built robust transgender health programs, hired leading surgeons, and established dedicated programs for transgender youth.
• ▪According to a survey cited by The New York Times, approximately 3 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds in New York identify as transgender, which is roughly twice the national average.