The Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters on Oct. 5, 2026, to 24 of the nation's largest health care services companies, telling them that price quotes that leave out physician fees or facility fees may mislead patients and could violate federal law. The FTC announcement of the warning letters focuses on routine, non-emergency care scheduled in advance, the kind of procedure a family can plan and shop for.
The agency did not publicly name the 24 recipients. Becker's Hospital Review reported that an FTC spokesperson confirmed the agency is not disclosing them, so patients cannot yet tell whether their local health system is among them. That also means the letters are a signal to the whole industry, not a verdict on any one system.
