Washington, D.C., February 23, 2026 – A new watchdog effort, Hospital Watch, launched today with a mission to shine a spotlight on the rampant price gouging and lack of transparency within hospitals. The group aims to advocate for patients and hold hospital executives and private-equity owners accountable for unfair billing practices.
Reports show hospitals have been marking up prices for procedures and patient care by an average of 300% and medicines up to 400%. Data also shows the consolidation and emergence of private equity ownership of U.S. hospitals has driven healthcare costs even higher. The consequences are higher premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs for patients.
“Patients deserve to know what they’re paying for and why,” said Adam “Buck” Buckalew, senior advisor for Hospital Watch. “For too long, hospitals have operated behind a veil of secrecy when it comes to pricing. We are here to pull back that veil and advocate for fair, transparent practices.”
Hospital Watch will publish reports, highlight real-world examples of overcharging, and push for policies that require hospitals to be upfront about their costs. The organization invites patients and families to share their stories and join the movement for change.
For example, in Texas, a common cardiac stress test costs four times as much in an office owned by a hospital compared to an identical test at an independent cardiologist. In California, a toddler’s snakebite injury racked up over $250,000 in costs due to hospital markups. In Idaho, a mother received bills over three times the expected total for her standard childbirth due to facility fees and surprise billing.
“These cases are not isolated incidents. They reflect a systemic problem in which hospital executives and owners set prices with little accountability, leaving patients as innocent victims forced to pay more for the same care. These stories are just the tip of the iceberg, and we are going to bring them to light,” said Buckalew. “This isn’t about doctors or nurses caring for patients — it’s about greedy hospital owners and executives.”
For more information, visit HospitalWatch.com.
About Hospital Watch
Hospital Watch is a watchdog group dedicated to shining a light on corporate hospitals as the top culprit in driving up U.S. healthcare costs – exposing corporate hospitals’ monopolistic practices in price gouging patients with excessive markups and hidden fees with no transparency while forcing patients to pay more for their care. Hospital Watch is a project of Better Solutions for Healthcare.