US hospitals billed $120mn for sex-change procedures on minors – report

The charges since 2019 included over 5,500 surgeries and 8,500 courses of hormones or puberty blockers, the health department has said US hospitals have billed tens of millions of dollars for sex-changing interventions on minors, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).The ‘Wolves in White Coats’ report, released this week and citing watchdog research, said hospitals and clinics have billed nearly $120 million for more than 5,500 surgeries and 8,500 courses of hormones or puberty blockers for minors since 2019.Some providers may have used misleading or potentially fraudulent billing codes to get insurers to cover the interventions, according to HHS. The department identified nearly $50 million in claims for puberty blockers given to children aged nine to 17 under a general hormone-disorder code without a gender-related or early-puberty diagnosis on the same claim.Hospitals and clinics identified in the report have been referred to the Department of Justice and investigators from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for potential violations of federal law. According to HHS, the observed billing patterns require additional investigation. Another ne...