WASHINGTON / PITTSBURGH (Sept. 18, 2026) — Two of the country’s largest hospital systems — NYU Langone Hospitals and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) — have reached agreements with the Justice Department to end so-called gender-affirming medical interventions for minors and to pay civil fines, the department announced Friday.

Per the resolutions reported by National Review and WPXI, the systems will stop administering puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones and performing related surgical procedures on patients under 18. NYU Langone will pay $8.5 million; UPMC will pay $950,000. Neither system admitted wrongdoing, fault, or liability.

“The Department of Justice is fighting to protect our nation’s children and working tirelessly to reach agreements with hospitals to end so-called ‘gender affirming care’ for minors,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement carried by both outlets. “Today’s resolutions send a clear message: hospitals that target children in these practices and then fraudulently obtain payment for the procedures will be held to account.”

Nationwide probe; other systems already settled

The agreements sit inside a broader Civil Division investigation into pediatric gender-transition practices, looking at potential violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the False Claims Act, and alleged false diagnosis coding used to bill federal programs and insurers. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said investigations into other providers continue and that unresolved cases “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas said protecting minors remains a top priority and that probes remain open.

NYU and UPMC join earlier resolutions with Mount Sinai Health System, Texas Children’s Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and Connecticut Children’s Hospital. NYU had already discontinued pediatric gender-transition services earlier after the Trump administration threatened to withhold federal funding; UPMC had faced a DOJ subpoena in July 2025 for related records, WPXI reported.

Hospitals: privacy protections, no admission

UPMC told WPXI the Sept. 18 deal with DOJ and HHS “protects patient and family privacy, preserves the confidentiality of sensitive health information,” includes non-prosecution protections for patients, guardians, providers, and employees, and “expressly includes no admission of wrongdoing.” The system said it settled “to avoid prolonged litigation” and keep focus on patient care.

NYU Langone spokesperson Steve Ritea told National Review the hospital “has not entered into this settlement because of any wrongdoing and has affirmatively denied any wrongdoing or liability in the agreement,” calling the resolution in the best interests of patients, families, providers, and the institution.

Dated Friday, Sept. 18, 2026: DOJ resolutions with NYU Langone ($8.5M) and UPMC ($950k) ending puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and related surgeries for minors; no admissions of liability; probes of other hospitals ongoing.

Sources