Trump Administration Enforces Hospital Price Transparency

In February 2025 President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Treasury, Labor and HHS to enforce price-transparency rules. Hospitals and insurers must post actual prices in dollars and cents, and executives must attest to their accuracy by April 1, 2025. CMS has already issued eleven enforcement actions against non-compliant hospitals.

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Hospital service prices have risen 281 percent since 2000, far outpacing inflation. Families USA estimates $240 billion in annual wasteful spending, while the Kaiser Family Foundation says hospital spending contributed 40 percent of health-spending growth from 2022-2024.

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The effort is led by President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with Acting Assistant General Omeed A. Assefi (Antitrust Division) and the Paragon Health Institute supporting the order. Hospital CEOs Sam Hazen (HCA Healthcare) and Wright Lassiter III (CommonSpirit Health) are slated for a congressional hearing.

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• 12 percent of hospitals posted no actual prices; only 15.5 percent met full disclosure standards (Patient Rights Advocate, Sept 2025).

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• New York-Presbyterian reported a $547 million profit in 2024 and its president Steven Corwin earned over $24 million that year.

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HHS Secretary Kennedy emphasized that transparency drives competition, which she said lowers healthcare costs for every American. CMS continues to target hospitals that mislead patients. The Antitrust Division has sued New York-Presbyterian for alleged anticompetitive practices and pledged to hold violators accountable.

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A former White House official called the initiative “a total scam,” arguing that high hospital profits and executive pay are unrelated to price disclosure. Hospital spokespeople note the order’s threat of federal-fund denial for gender-affirming care forces website changes but does not address cost drivers. Families USA’s $240 billion waste estimate differs from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s focus on a 40 percent share of spending growth. Compliance data also diverge: the Patient Rights Advocate reports 15.5 percent adequate disclosure, while the administration highlights improving price comparability. No independent audit of posted prices exists.

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• “Republicans are finally doing what was politically unthinkable for either party and moving to scrutinize the role of greedy hospitals in raising healthcare costs for all Americans,” — Senior Trump administration official

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• “If hospitals mislead patients or fail to disclose actual prices, we will hold them accountable. Transparency drives competition — and competition lowers healthcare costs for every American.” — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS Secretary

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• “New York-Presbyterian has known for years that the American consumer wants budget-conscious health plans that reduce healthcare costs,” — Acting Assistant General Omeed A. Assefi

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The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing with health-system executives next Tuesday to assess compliance. The Antitrust Division’s lawsuit against New York-Presbyterian proceeds, and CMS plans further enforcement actions through 2026.

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