Trump Amplifies HHS Report Alleging Fraud In Child Gender Procedures

Trump shares a Daily Wire report on an HHS finding that hospitals billed millions for pediatric puberty blockers, referring providers to the Justice Department.

First Published: August 16, 2026, 5:37 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump promoted a report alleging that hospitals committed potential large-scale fraud by billing insurers for puberty blockers prescribed to children.

The report, released by the Department of Health and Human Services and titled “Wolves in White Coats,” examined insurance coding and financial incentives behind transgender medical procedures for minors, according to dailywire. It marked the first time HHS examined the financial incentives behind the pediatric gender medicine industry, the report found. “The research and first-hand stories in this report demonstrates potential large-scale fraud,” the report concluded, according to dailywire.

The development matters because it moves a contested medical debate into the realm of federal fraud enforcement, exposing hospitals and clinics to Justice Department review and financial liability.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “EXCLUSIVE: Trump Admin Opens New Front In War On Fraud, This Time In Child Sex-Changes: https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trump-admin-opens-new-front-in-war-on-fraud-this-time-in-child-sex-changes” on August 16, 2026 at 9:24 AM ET.

This is Trump’s 2nd message released today, and the last post was 2 hours ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 50 of his 537 posts over the last 30 days classified as Domestic Policy posts.

Vice President JD Vance’s Fraud Task Force is referring a number of hospitals and clinics to the Justice Department and the HHS Inspector General for possible violations of federal law, according to dailywire. Those hospitals billed millions of dollars in insurance claims for puberty blockers for children, according to dailywire. Trump shared the report by mentioning the source (see dailywire).

Between 2015 and 2025, providers billed approximately $50 million in insurance claims for puberty blockers using the endocrine disorder diagnostic code E34.9, a billable code used when a patient has a hormone problem, according to dailywire. The report said using that code in place of a gender-related diagnosis violates guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, since gender dysphoria is not an endocrine disorder. Hospitals and clinics also billed nearly $11 million in claims for patients between the ages of 13 and 17 using a diagnosis code for precocious puberty, according to dailywire. Over 225 hospitals and health systems established pediatric gender programs across the country, the report found.

“These allegations are crazy, and they demand investigation,” Vance said in a video obtained by The Daily Wire. “When children may have been harmed, and families misled, it’s on those of us in power to find the truth and to seek justice for kids who were harmed by these doctors,” he said.

The stakes fall on healthcare facilities and insurers, who face potential criminal referral and clawbacks, while the administration frames the effort as protecting taxpayers and patients. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged that the department would follow the evidence and hold accountable anyone who broke the law, according to dailywire.

The next step rests with the Justice Department and the HHS Inspector General, who received the referrals for review. A date for any charging decision has not been announced.