The following content is sponsored Save our states and written by its founder and CEO Trent England.
America used to be the undisputed leader in healthcare in the world, but today we pay more and often get less. For decades, Americans have been lectured that health care is complicated, prices are mysterious, and costs can only rise. Families have no choice but to pay any bill. But what if the real problem is not the complexity of healthcare, but that the system is allowed to operate in the dark, where industry comes first and not the American people?
Today, Americans are overwhelmed by health care costs that are rising faster than wages. Often these costs manifest themselves in insurance premiums, which burden both families and employers. Small businesses are struggling with rising premiums, making it harder to hire employees, raise salaries and compete. Yet, despite the fact that we spend more than any other country on earth, we still cannot answer the most basic question before receiving medical care: how much will it actually cost?
The good news is that President Trump can fix this and transform health care. The solution starts with something simple, powerful, and long overdue: giving every American the right to see real prices before choosing a care and then the opportunity to purchase the care they choose. These two reforms, which provide health care purchasers with actual prices upfront and giving Americans more control over their healthcare dollars would put consumers in the driver's seat and change healthcare forever. Together, they represent the most pro-worker, pro-family and pro-growth health program in a generation.
Healthcare is the only major sector where Americans must buy blindly. It's hard to imagine booking an airline ticket, buying a car, or signing a mortgage without knowing how much you'll pay until you receive a bill weeks or months later. Crap, we wouldn't buy a cup of coffee this way. So, when it comes to our health, we should not be forced to make decisions without all the information. We also shouldn't trust a system dominated by large companies that benefit from hiding this information from us.
The Trump administration could act quickly to start a domino effect by requiring mandatory advance notice to patients that spells out exactly what insurance will cover and how much you'll pay out of pocket—so you know before you start paying. This will give consumers the ability to plan, shop and save on care. It would begin to lift the lid on costs that have traditionally been hidden until it was too late to find a better price.
The administration can make this a reality starting in 2026. And this wildly popular among most Americans. It gets to the heart of the issues Americans care most about on Main Street, including the cost of living and the availability of good jobs. Providing energy to consumers is the fastest way to lower bills, fewer surprises and greater financial security. This is a tangible change that Americans will be able to see and feel before November of next year.
If we combine price transparency with purchasing power (enabling Americans to shop for themselves), we will see a functional market begin to emerge. The Trump administration is moving full steam ahead, issuing executive orders aimed at “radical transparency– Coverage transparency and hospital price transparency rules – these rules simply need to be implemented and enforced.
What makes these reforms transformative is that they shift power away from big industry and into the hands of American people. When we see real prices, we can make real choices. When transparency replaces secrecy, competition replaces complacency. And when health care costs finally fall, workers will keep more of what they earn. This way you will reduce inflation. This way you will raise your salary. This is how you grow jobs. And that's how you restore trust in a health care system that seems stacked against ordinary Americans.
Give to the Americans power to choose and buying your own health care is not just a solution to a health care problem. It is a solution to the cost of living problem, a solution to increasing wages, and a solution to the problem of economic growth.
This is a rare reform that simultaneously helps patients, workers, families, small businesses and the economy as a whole. Transparency is not only good health policy, but also good policy and the kind of common sense solution that will contribute to President Trump's legacy.
This is a clear path to make healthcare accessible: Give to consumers right to see real price, make the industry competitive and allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money.
