(UPDATE: The Vines Hospital responded on July 22 with the following statement:
“The Vines Hospital is compliant with all federal hospital price transparency requirements, and we make our pricing information publicly available as required.
“Earlier this year, CMS updated its reporting requirements. We received notice of technical issues dealing with the manner in which The Vines Hospital was identified. All pricing information was provided as required. Upon notification, we reviewed the matter, implemented the necessary technical corrections, and are in full compliance with applicable requirements. The Vines Hospital has received notice of successful resolution from CMS.”)
OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Two Ocala healthcare facilities were among more than 500 nationwide who received letters in early June 2026 warning them about their noncompliance with price transparency rules enacted during President Trump’s first term, according to an Associated Press report and an announcement from watchdog group Hospital Watch.
Twenty-one Florida hospitals were sent letters. Two Ocala area hospitals, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Central Florida and the Vines Hospital, a facility geared toward mental wellness and addiction treatment, were on that list.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June 2019 requiring healthcare facilities to inform consumers upfront what the actual costs of “common tests and procedures” would be. The order included co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs for insured patients.
It takes time for processes and protocols to be put into place for such executive orders, and it seems the federal government has enough of the rules and criteria solidified to have sent warning letters to multiple facilities across the U.S. last month.
“Patients should not have to guess what a hospital visit is going to cost,” said Adam Buckalew, spokesperson for Hospital Watch. “If hospitals are serious about affordability, they should start by following the basic transparency rules already on the books. Instead, too many major hospital systems are hiding prices, protecting inflated rates, and leaving families to deal with surprise bills they cannot afford.”
Encompass Health released a statement to 352Today calling the inclusion of its Ocala facility on the list the result of a technical glitch:
“Encompass Health corrected a formatting error at this location. CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] accepted the updated file for this hospital, confirming compliance,” read the statement in its entirety.
Trump’s executive order was designed to provide the kind of transparency that would allow patients to seek out the cheapest avenue for a given test or procedure–for example, perhaps a hospital charges $5,000 for a certain MRI while a specialist facility charges $1,000–and select their providers accordingly.
Failure to comply with the federal warnings could cost hospitals as much as $2 million in penalties annually.
The Vines Hospital did not respond to a request for comment. We will update this story if and when the facility releases a statement.