https://mailchi.mp/ce4d4e40f714/the-weekly-gist-june-10-2022?e=d1e747d2d8

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) fined two of Atlanta-based Northside Hospital’s five facilities a total of $1.1M for failing to disclose their prices. Though only six percent of hospitals are fully in compliance with the federal rules that went into effect in January 2021, CMS has only sent 352 warning letters to date, and this week’s fines are the first the agency has issued. 

The Gist: While these first fines are notable, it remains an open question whether the financial penalties for not complying with price transparency are stiff enough to motivate hospitals to submit their data. While more substantial than those under the Trump Administration, the current fines remain a rounding error for many hospitals, as they represent less than one percent of net patient revenue on average. 

Market dynamics may be more of a factor in compliance than monetary penalties: a recent JAMA study found that hospitals in more competitive, urban markets were more likely to share prices.