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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 HospitalBarlow Respiratory HospitalBHC Alhambra HospitalCanyon Ridge HospitalCollege Hospital Costa MesaCollege Medical CenterCollege Medical Center Hawthorne CampusCollege Medical Center South Campus DP APHCommunity Memorial Hospital – VenturaDel Amo Behavioral Health SystemEmanate Health Inter-Community HospitalEmanate Health Queen of the Valley HospitalGreater El Monte Community HospitalHarbor-UCLA Medical CenterLos Angeles General Medical CenterMonrovia Memorial HospitalOlive View-UCLA Medical CenterOrange County Global Medical CenterParkview Community Hospital Medical CenterPIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital – Los AngelesPIH Health HospitalSan Gabriel Valley Medical CenterSouthern 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.