CMS updates enforcement process for hospital price transparency

Editor's Note

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, on April 26, announced updates to the enforcement process for its hospital price transparency rule.

CMS will now automatically impose a civil monetary penalty if hospitals do not submit a corrective action plan on time or complete it within 45 days. As of April 2023, CMS has imposed civil monetary penalties on four hospitals for noncompliance. CMS also has issued more than 730 warning notices and 269 requests for corrective action plans.

In addition, CMS will no longer issue a warning notice to hospitals that have not made any attempt to satisfy requirements (ie, posted a machine-readable file or shoppable services list/price estimator tool). Instead, CMS will immediately request that the hospital submit a corrective action plan.