23 Southern California hospitals warned for violating federal price transparency rules
Hospitals warned over alleged transparency violations
More than 500 hospitals nationwide, including 23 in Southern California, have been warned for failing to comply with federal hospital price transparency rules, according to a watchdog group Hospital Watch.
A new report says more than 500 hospitals across the country have been warned by the federal government for failing to comply with federal hospital price transparency rules. According to the watchdog group Hospital Watch, 23 hospitals in the Los Angeles area are not complying with those requirements.
The watchdog group says patients are being kept in the dark about the cost of care, making it harder to compare prices and avoid surprise medical bills. The report says major hospital systems continue to use vague, incomplete and difficult-to-access pricing information that prevents patients, families and employers from understanding the true cost of care before the bill arrives.
Here's a look at some of the hospitals on the list:
- Aurora Las Encinas Hospital
- Barlow Respiratory Hospital
- BHC Alhambra Hospital
- Canyon Ridge Hospital
- College Hospital Costa Mesa
- College Medical Center
- College Medical Center Hawthorne Campus
- College Medical Center South Campus DP APH
- Community Memorial Hospital – Ventura
- Del Amo Behavioral Health System
- Emanate Health Inter-Community Hospital
- Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital
- Greater El Monte Community Hospital
- Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
- Los Angeles General Medical Center
- Monrovia Memorial Hospital
- Olive View-UCLA Medical Center
- Orange County Global Medical Center
- Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center
- PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital – Los Angeles
- PIH Health Hospital
- San Gabriel Valley Medical Center
- Southern Inyo Hospital
"Patients should not have to guess what a hospital visit is going to cost," said Hospital Watch's Adam Buckalew in a press release. "If hospitals are serious about affordability, they should start by following the basic transparency rules already on the books. Instead, too many major hospital systems are hiding prices, protecting inflated rates, and leaving families to deal with surprise bills they cannot afford.