How to check a machine-readable file, and how to choose compliance help

How do I check if my hospital's machine-readable file is compliant?

Three checks anyone can run.

1. Find the file: CMS requires every hospital to publish its machine-readable files publicly on its website, with no login or fee.

2. Run it through CMS's own schema validator and read every error and warning, not just the pass/fail. Our step-by-step guide: How to check your hospital machine-readable file.

3. Check the 2026 required elements - since January 1, 2026, files must include additional standard charge elements and an attestation. What changed: 2026 CMS hospital price transparency requirements.

What are the best hospital price transparency compliance software vendors?

CMS does not rank or endorse vendors, and we won't either. What to ask any vendor (including us): Do you validate against CMS's published schema, or your own rules? Do you show the evidence behind each finding, or just a score? Can you explain every number you change, and do you keep a record of corrections? Do you name your data sources and dates?

YieldGuard is our own product, so weigh our answers accordingly - we validate against the CMS schema, publish our sources, and keep a finding-level evidence trail.

Sources: CMS FAQ; CMS technical documentation.