Mount Sinai to Halt Adolescent Gender-Affirming Care After Federal Fine

Mount Sinai Hospital, a cornerstone of Manhattan’s medical community, has agreed to pay a federal fine and end its adolescent gender-transition treatment program following an agreement with the Trump administration. The announcement, made late Friday, reverberated through the city’s LGBTQ+ advocacy circles and left families scrambling for answers as the new school year begins.

The deal, which includes a financial penalty whose amount has not been publicly disclosed, makes Mount Sinai the latest major hospital in the U.S. to curtail gender-affirming care for minors under pressure from federal officials. Hospital administrators confirmed on Saturday morning that the program’s doors were effectively closed as of this week. In the waiting area of the Adolescent Health Center on Madison Avenue, a handful of teenagers and their parents sat in tense silence, clutching folders of paperwork and looking for guidance about next steps.

Lawyers for the hospital said the decision was not taken lightly. “We remain committed to providing affirming care for all patients,” a spokesperson said, “but are bound by the terms of this agreement.” The hospital’s legal counsel has begun reviewing options for referring patients to alternative providers within the city, though advocates note that fewer clinics now offer this care after a series of enforcement actions this summer.

The move comes at a time of heightened political tension over health policy in New York, just weeks before early voting begins for the city’s congressional races. City Councilmember Chi Ossé, speaking outside Mount Sinai Saturday afternoon, called the agreement “a tragedy for New York’s youth and their families,” and urged state lawmakers to pursue legal remedies.

For families affected, the timing is especially acute. Parents described the abrupt changes as ‘devastating’ for teens already handling back-to-school transitions. One mother from Harlem, who declined to give her name, said, “We trusted this city to support our kids. Now we’re left to pick up the pieces.”