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Episode 1: What Hospital Leaders Need to Know About Price Transparency Enforcement in 2026
In Episode 1 of SlicedHealth’s 2026 Price Transparency Guide, Chief Client Officer Ken Jackson breaks down what CMS actually expects hospitals to have in place and where many organizations unknowingly fall out of compliance. While much of the focus has been on machine-readable files, Ken explains that compliance extends well beyond publishing a file and hoping it passes a validator.
Small details trip hospitals up every day: missing footer links, an incorrect or absent CMS-HPT.txt file, outdated file dates, or incomplete shoppable services lists. Any one of these issues can trigger a compliance notice, even if pricing itself has not changed.
Ken also walks through how CMS fines work, how penalties scale by hospital size, and why enforcement in 2026 is expected to be far more aggressive than in prior years. With enforcement beginning April 1, hospitals have a narrowing window to review their current approach and fix gaps before scrutiny increases.
Episode 1 provides a clear, practical overview of what CMS will look for and where leaders should focus now to avoid unnecessary risk. Listen now to understand what compliance really requires and what to prioritize before enforcement begins.