DCH Says Naming Error Prompted Federal Price Transparency Notice

TUSCALOOSA, AL — DCH Health System says a simple naming error resulted in its Tuscaloosa hospital being named among more than 500 nationwide by federal officials as part of an enforcement effort targeting hospital price transparency compliance.

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According to a list obtained by the Associated Press, DCH Regional Medical Center and Noland Hospital Tuscaloosa were among 20 Alabama hospitals that received notices or requests for corrective action from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding federal price transparency requirements.

Following publication of the list, DCH Health System told Patch the issue cited by federal officials involved a technical naming discrepancy that has since been corrected.

"On April 17, 2026, we received a notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding our Hospital Price Transparency file," Briana Houston, interim vice president of marketing and communications for DCH Health System, said in a statement to Patch. "The issue identified was limited to the use of 'DCH Regional Medical Center' rather than the legal entity name, 'DCH Healthcare Authority.' We promptly corrected the file, and CMS reviewed the update on April 22, 2026."

Houston then said DCH Health System is focused on compliance with federal transparency requirements.

"DCH remains fully committed to complying with all Hospital Price Transparency requirements and responding promptly to CMS guidance and requests to ensure accurate and transparent information is available to the public," Houston said.

Noland Hospitals is a private company separate from the West Alabama health care provider that occupies a longterm care facility inside DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa.

In a statement to Patch, Noland Hospitals said three of its long-term acute care facilities were included among Alabama hospitals recently cited for price transparency concerns as a result of a formatting error.

"We were made aware of the error about a month ago and corrected it immediately," Noland Hospitals said. "We are in full compliance with price transparency rules, and we are committed to making sure patients have the information they need when making decisions about their care.

The news comes after President Donald Trump's administration recently intensified enforcement of hospital price transparency rules, which require hospitals to publicly disclose standard charges and negotiated rates with insurers in a consumer-accessible format.

The Trump administration has said hospitals that fail to comply can face significant financial penalties.

The Associated Press reported more than 500 hospitals have received warning letters or corrective action requests since April as federal regulators increase oversight of the program.

It remains unclear what specific issues prompted notices issued to other Alabama hospitals included on the federal list.

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