On June 9, 2026, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced in a video posted to X1 that the Trump administration, HHS, and CMS are intensifying their focus on hospital price transparency compliance and expansion.
In the announcement, Secretary Kennedy issues a direct message to providers:
“Consider this a formal notice to every hospital in America still hiding prices from patients, we know who you are. Significant enforcement began two months ago. The grace period has ended. There are no further extensions. If your hospital is not yet in compliance, you are in violation of federal law.”
Dr. Oz reinforces this stance, noting that CMS has issued warning letters to more than 500 hospitals not yet following the rules, including large, well-resourced health systems. He emphasizes that failure to comply will result in penalties “to the fullest extent that the law allows” and positions price transparency as a core component of efforts to lower costs, reduce premiums, and return control to patients.
How Is HHS Enforcing Compliance With Price Transparency Requirements?
HHS and CMS confirmed that 519 hospitals received noncompliance letters between April and early June 2026, spanning all states except Alaska.2 A list of the hospitals has been referenced in reporting by the Associated Press and other news outlets, and CMS also maintains a public use file (PUF) data set for hospital price transparency enforcement as of October 7, 2025, which includes warnings, corrective action plans (CAPs), and civil monetary penalties (CMPs). The activity highlighted in the June 9 announcement appears to reflect warning actions issued between April 1 and June 2026.
To date, CMS data reveals a notable gap between enforcement activity and penalty outcomes. Between April 1 and June 11, 2026, only one CMP has been issued, on June 2. This indicates that many hospitals are actively engaging with CMS and HHS to remediate technical deficiencies, particularly with machine-readable files (MRFs), and to correct issues identified through audits and warning notices, as audits and reviews of hospital MRFs have been ongoing since early 2021.
Expanding to a wider time frame, CMS has issued 28 total CMPs for price transparency noncompliance since June 7, 2022. Out of more than 1,249 warning letters confirmed to date by CMS, only 2.24% have escalated to noncompliance findings. This suggests that the current enforcement framework is driving corrective action rather than punitive outcomes, with most hospitals resolving issues prior to escalation.
How Can Hospitals Prepare for Heightened Price Transparency Enforcement?
The timing and tone of the June 9 announcement signal a potential shift in HHS’ approach to enforcement. Price transparency is emerging as a central policy priority not only for CMS and HHS but across policymakers and the public, as healthcare affordability becomes a leading issue heading into the midterms.
Based on this renewed emphasis on price transparency, hospitals should monitor potential developments, including:
- Increased compliance, data accuracy audits, and enforcement activity: Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled audit capabilities are already well underway. All hospitals are subject to potential review, regardless of size.
- Continued refinement and expansion of regulatory requirements: The push for accurate, upfront price quotes remains a priority at both state and federal levels. Organizations should prepare for accelerated movement toward this next phase of transparency.
- Potential federal and state legislative action in 2026: Noncompliance, or even the perception of noncompliance, can not only affect public trust but also intensify federal and state discussions around tax-exempt status and price-capping policies. Maintaining compliance is essential to protect both reputation and operational flexibility.
How Forvis Mazars Can Help With Price Transparency Compliance
Our team has extensive experience helping hospitals navigate evolving price transparency requirements, including maintaining accurate, compliant MRFs and reporting Medicare Advantage negotiated rates on the Medicare cost report. We also can help hospitals leverage price transparency data to support rate benchmarking and contract negotiation, pricing strategy, and payment variance monitoring. If you have any questions or would like assistance with your price transparency strategy, please reach out to a professional on our team today.