The Justice Department has agreed to narrow a subpoena issued to Pittsburgh-based UPMC, saying it will now seek only anonymized patient medical records after patients raised privacy concerns in court.
The subpoena is part of a broader federal investigation into medical care for minors, which includes gender-affirming treatments. In July, the department issued subpoenas to more than 20 doctors and clinics nationwide, including UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. In response, a group of anonymous plaintiffs filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent UPMC from disclosing any patient records.
The move follows a similar legal dispute involving Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In November, a federal judge blocked the department’s subpoena for patient-identifying information, ruling that the privacy rights of children outweighed the government’s interest in disclosure, Becker’s reported.
In a Dec. 16 court filing UPMC shared with Becker’s, the department said it had changed course in the UPMC case after meeting with the health system’s attorneys. It will now accept anonymized records and said it does not currently plan to seek unredacted data through a separate HIPAA subpoena.
The department has asked that anonymized records include a minor’s age or year of birth, but not full birthdates, for investigative purposes.
Citing the narrowed scope of the subpoena, the department argued the plaintiffs’ lawsuit may no longer be valid. The filing states that patients do not have a privacy interest in records once identifying details are removed.
The department requested additional legal briefing to reflect the revised terms. Plaintiffs’ attorneys agreed, on the condition that UPMC not produce any records, even anonymized ones, while the court considers the matter. The department said it would comply.
If the court allows further briefing, the department’s supplemental filing is due Dec. 23, and any response from the plaintiffs would come no earlier than Jan. 12, 2026.
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