Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson announced Monday that the agency has sent warning letters to 24 of the nation's largest healthcare services companies, reminding them of their obligation to provide patients with timely, accurate and complete pricing — especially for routine, non-emergency care scheduled in advance.
The letters carry a sharp warning: even companies that comply with CMS price-transparency rules are not off the hook. "CMS rules do not provide a safe harbor from liability" under Section 5 of the FTC Act, which bars unfair or deceptive business practices. The FTC cited examples such as incomplete pricing terms — no detail on physician or facility fees — that mislead patients about the full cost and block comparison shopping.
Ferguson announced the move at a Monday press event rolling out new Trump administration transparency regulations, joined by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling and Deputy Treasury Secretary Francis Brooke.
The letters urge recipients to conduct a comprehensive review of their pricing practices and take corrective action swiftly, with Ferguson warning that failure to do so opens the door to legal action.
