Nine Arkansas hospitals have been cited by the Trump administration as part of a nationwide effort to enforce federal hospital price transparency requirements, with facilities receiving either warning letters or requests to submit corrective action plans.
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), hospitals are required to publicly post pricing information for medical services so patients can compare healthcare costs before receiving treatment. Federal officials said hospitals that fail to comply could face civil penalties of up to $2 million annually.
Among the Arkansas facilities, Conway Regional Medical Center in Conway, an acute care hospital, received a warning letter, as did Fulton County Hospital in Salem, a critical access hospital. Behavioral health facilities receiving warning letters include Pinnacle Pointe Behavioral Healthcare System in Little Rock, Rivendell Behavioral Health Services in Benton and The BridgeWay in North Little Rock.
Magnolia Regional Medical Center in Magnolia, Mena Regional Health System in Mena, Ouachita County Medical Center in Camden and Southwest Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Hope were each asked to submit corrective action plans after CMS determined they had not met compliance requirements within the required timeframe. All four are acute care or critical access hospitals serving their surrounding communities.
Hospital officials have offered limited responses regarding the notices. Mena Regional Health System said its corrective action request resulted from an administrative error involving two transposed digits in the hospital’s license number rather than missing pricing information. Officials said the issue was corrected and a corrective action plan was submitted before the list of hospitals became public.
Conway Regional Medical Center referred to a previous statement from the Arkansas Hospital Association, which said its member hospitals support price transparency and that most Arkansas hospitals comply with the federal requirements. The remaining Arkansas hospitals either did not respond to requests for comment or had not publicly addressed the notices.
The enforcement action comes as some Arkansas hospitals continue to face financial challenges. Ouachita County Medical Center filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year and closed its obstetrics unit, while data from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform indicates several hospitals receiving notices, including facilities in Mena, Magnolia, Hope and Salem, have reported operating losses in recent years.
Under the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule, which took effect in 2021, hospitals receiving warning letters generally have 90 days to come into compliance before CMS may require a corrective action plan with a 45-day deadline. Federal officials said additional hospitals nationwide could receive notices as enforcement continues.
