Justice Department Forces Texas Children's to End Pediatric Care, Pay $10 Million
Updated
Updated · Department of Justice · May 15
Justice Department Forces Texas Children's to End Pediatric Care, Pay $10 Million
14 articles · Updated · Department of Justice · May 15
$10 million in damages and civil penalties will be paid by Texas Children's Hospital under a Justice Department resolution that also bars it from providing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors.
The settlement stems from allegations that the hospital submitted false billings to public and private insurers to obtain coverage for pediatric sex-rejecting procedures, conduct the DOJ said may violate the FDCA, False Claims Act, and federal fraud laws.
Texas Children's also agreed to spend millions on restorative care and create what officials called the first clinic dedicated to detransitioners, while the U.S. said the hospital received cooperation credit during the investigation.
The deal, coordinated with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is the first resolution in the DOJ's national probe of providers offering such procedures to minors; the claims were settled without any determination of liability, and both entities denied the allegations.
As a hospital is forced to fund a detransition clinic, what does this signal about the future of youth gender medicine?
When patient regret can take over a decade to surface, how can doctors ensure truly informed consent for irreversible procedures?
Texas Children’s Hospital Faces $10 Million Fine and Detransition Clinic Order After Gender-Affirming Care Investigation
Overview
The Texas Attorney General, with support from the Department of Justice, launched a multi-year investigation into Texas Children's Hospital, uncovering that doctors allegedly performed illegal gender-transition interventions for minors and used false diagnosis codes. This investigation followed a new state law banning gender-affirming care for minors, which was later upheld by the Texas Supreme Court. The hospital ultimately settled with authorities, agreeing to end these practices and close a period of intense scrutiny. This case highlights how legal actions and changing laws can directly reshape medical care for young people in Texas.