The Healthcare Order That Exposed the Industry’s Greatest Scam


In the midst of America’s deeply flawed healthcare system, one of the most revealing executive orders in recent history came from an unlikely source—Donald Trump. Regardless of political leanings, his 2019 healthcare transparency order did something that should have been done decades ago: it pulled back the curtain on how hospitals and insurance companies manipulate pricing to the detriment of the average person. While this order did not fix the system, it exposed a deeply unfair structure that has been gouging Americans for years.

The Order That Forced Transparency

The executive order required hospitals to disclose their negotiated rates with insurance companies, as well as the cash prices for common procedures. For years, hospitals have been allowed to operate behind a thick veil of secrecy, where patients are billed astronomical amounts with no clarity on how prices are determined. This was no accident—it was the product of a well-designed scheme between insurance companies, hospital networks, and pharmaceutical giants.

Before the order, the same procedure could have drastically different costs depending on whether a patient was insured, which insurance they had, or if they were paying out-of-pocket. The result? Those without insurance, often the most vulnerable in society, were charged the highest prices.

The True Cost vs. The Insurance Scam

One of the most outrageous aspects of the American healthcare system is that the cost of procedures is often far lower when paid in cash than when billed through insurance. The reason? Insurance companies negotiate discounts, but those discounts are built into an inflated sticker price that most patients never see. This system allows insurers to boast about savings while still charging absurd premiums and deductibles.

For example, a hospital might bill an insurance company $50,000 for a procedure, but the insurer has a pre-negotiated discount bringing it down to $15,000. The hospital still profits handsomely, the insurance company maintains control over the market, and the patient is stuck paying whatever is left over. Meanwhile, if a patient without insurance walked in and negotiated, they might be able to get the same procedure for $10,000 in cash. The people supposedly benefiting from insurance end up paying more than those who can afford to bypass it altogether.

Who Loses in This System?

  1. The Uninsured: Those without insurance are routinely charged the highest rates, often leading to financial ruin when a major medical event occurs.

  2. The Underinsured: Many insured individuals are still buried under high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, making their “coverage” almost useless in a real emergency.

  3. Small Businesses and Individuals: Those buying private insurance plans, particularly small business owners and freelancers, are often forced into sky-high premiums with little transparency about what they are actually paying for.

  4. Taxpayers: The government spends billions subsidizing an industry that profits from inefficiency and opacity.

Why the Industry Fought Back

The backlash to the transparency rule was immediate. Hospitals and insurance companies sued to stop it, arguing that revealing prices would “confuse” patients or disrupt the market. The reality? They feared what would happen if the public saw the truth about pricing disparities.

If hospitals were forced to display true costs, insurance companies would lose their ability to manipulate prices. People would start demanding fairer rates, and competition would increase. But the industry relies on confusion and artificial inflation to maintain control over patients’ wallets.

The Bigger Issue: A Rigged System

The real problem is that the American healthcare system is structured not for care, but for profit. Every layer of the system—from pharmaceutical companies to insurance providers to hospital networks—is built on maximizing revenue rather than patient outcomes. Transparency alone cannot fix a system that is fundamentally designed to exploit.

While Trump’s order was a step toward exposing this reality, it was not enough to reform it. Without drastic legislative action to cap costs, regulate insurers, and eliminate predatory billing practices, Americans will continue to be overcharged and underserved.

Conclusion: The Fight for Fair Healthcare

The insurance scam is one of the biggest financial traps in America. People pay thousands every year for “coverage” only to be crushed by hidden fees, surprise bills, and rising deductibles. Trump’s healthcare order gave Americans a glimpse of the scam in action, but real change requires more than transparency—it requires a complete overhaul of the industry.

Until the country shifts its priorities from corporate profit to actual healthcare, Americans will continue to pay the price—literally and figuratively.


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