On Jan. 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services increased fines for hospitals that have not complied with a rule enacted at the beginning of last year mandating they be transparent about their prices.

As of December, more than half of hospitals were still flouting the rule. Patients deserve better. Transparent prices can help them make more informed decisions about their care — and drive down health costs. The 2021 CMS rule ordered hospitals to reveal their prices for 300 “shoppable services,” ranging from a basic blood test to joint replacement surgery. But since the penalty for noncompliance was just $300 per day, many hospitals chose to ignore it.

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