Trying to find out what a hospital visit or procedure will cost before you get the bill shouldn’t be difficult. But a new report finds many hospitals still aren’t providing all the price information they’re required to make public.

The good news: More hospitals are following federal price transparency rules than ever before.

PatientRightsAdvocate.org looked at 2,000 hospitals and found that about 49% were fully complying with federal requirements to publicly share information about their prices. That’s a significant improvement from the group’s previous report in 2024.

But that also means 51% of hospitals still weren’t fully meeting the requirements.

And even when hospitals comply, finding an actual price can be challenging. According to the report, only about 18% of the hospitals reviewed posted dollars-and-cents prices for at least half of the services in their files.

Why does that matter?

Knowing the price of healthcare before you receive it can help you understand your options, compare costs and avoid financial surprises. That’s especially important at a time when families are already worried about what they’ll pay for healthcare.

Federal regulators have increased enforcement of hospital price transparency requirements, and the report’s authors say that’s helping improve compliance. Have you ever tried to find out what a medical procedure would cost before receiving care? Was the information easy to find — or did the bill surprise you? Share your story with Voices for Affordable Health.

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