24 Southern California hospitals warned by White House for hiding price data, face $2M fines
LOS ANGELES - The Trump administration has targeted more than 500 hospitals nationwide, including 24 major facilities across California, warning them over a systemic failure to provide clear, public pricing data.
Federal officials argue that hiding the costs of basic care keeps medical expenses artificially high for everyday families, prompting a strict enforcement sweep backed by multi-million dollar penalties.
What we know:
The Associated Press exclusively obtained a list of non-compliant hospitals that have received warning letters or formal requests for corrective action plans since April.
Among the penalizable facilities are 24 prominent Southern California institutions:
- Aurora Las Encinas Hospital, LLC (Pasadena)
- Aurora San Diego
- Barlow Respiratory Hospital (Los Angeles)
- BHC Alhambra Hospital (Rosemead)
- Canyon Ridge Hospital (Chino)
- College Hospital (Costa Mesa)
- College Medical Center (Long Beach)
- College Medical Center Hawthorne Campus
- College Medical Center South Campus DP (Long Beach)
- Community Memorial Hospital (Ventura)
- Del Amo Behavioral Health System (Torrance)
- Emanate Health Inter-Community Hospital (Covina)
- Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital (West Covina)
- Enloe Rehabilitation Center (Chico)
- Greater El Monte Community Hospital (South El Monte)
- Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (Torrance)
- Los Angeles County Olive View-UCLA Medical Center (Sylmar)
- Los Angeles General Medical Center (Los Angeles)
- Monrovia Memorial Hospital (Monrovia)
- Orange County Global Medical Center (Santa Ana)
- Parkview Community Hospital Medical (Riverside)
- PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital Los Angeles
- PIH Health Hospital (Whittier)
- San Gabriel Valley Medical Center (San Gabriel)
The federal warnings aim to resolve a fundamental market problem: patients, insurers, and employers frequently enter procedures blindly, unaware of the final costs for basic treatments, imaging, or blood work.
Under current enforcement protocols, hospitals that refuse to comply face penalties reaching as high as $2 million annually.
While Texas led the nation with 42 warned facilities, California represents a major focal point of the administration's nationwide crackdown.
What they're saying:
Experts note that while the data is helpful, it is currently difficult for average everyday consumers to digest.
Gary Claxton, senior vice president and director of the program on the healthcare marketplace at KFF, explained the systemic hurdle.
"There’s a pretty widespread belief that prices are more divergent than they should be in a competitive market — and this is one way of trying to understand that more," Claxton said. "It’s moving in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean it has gotten to where it needs to be," Claxton said.
The American Hospital Association defended its members, stating that a majority of hospitals are complying with the federal transparency rules that went into effect this year.
Ashley Thompson, the association's senior vice president for policy, acknowledged in a statement that "the current system is not working as well as it could for patients" and noted that hospitals will continue to collaborate with the administration to improve data quality.
What's next:
A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that President Donald Trump intends to further tighten enforcement of the price transparency standards originally established via a 2019 executive order.
More hospitals across California and the rest of the nation are expected to receive warning letters if their pricing data remains hidden or incomplete.
Capitol Hill is also stepping up its scrutiny.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to address price transparency. Industry leaders plan to push for stricter compliance, with Shawn Gremminger, CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, noting in prepared remarks: "Transparency is the foundation of a healthcare system that rewards competition based on cost and quality."
The Source: This report is based on an exclusive list of non-compliant healthcare facilities obtained by The Associated Press, alongside formal warning documentation issued by federal regulators.