Trump Signs Executive Order Calling For Upfront Disclosure Of Hospital Costs

President Trump on Monday signed an executive order demanding the upfront disclosure by hospitals of the actual prices for common tests and procedures.

Trump’s order also requires that patients be told ahead of time what their out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and copays will be for many procedures.

“This landmark initiative continues our work to put American patients first,” Trump said during remarks at the White House before signing the order. “We are fundamentally changing the nature of the health care marketplace.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters before Trump’s remarks that the idea is to give patients practical information that they can use to help save money. For example, if a hospital charges your insurer $3,500 for a type of echocardiogram and the same test costs $550 in a doctor’s office, you might go for the lower-price procedure to save on copays.

The executive order calls for a rule-making process by federal agencies, which typically takes months or even years. The details of what information will have to be disclosed and how it will be made available to patients must be worked out as part of writing the regulations. That will involve a complex give-and-take with hospitals, insurers and others affected. Consumers will have to wait to see whether the results live up to the administration’s promises.

United Cajun Navy offers search and rescue services in hunt for Nancy Guthrie

WATCH: Mamdani Was Filmed Praising Group of Muslims Who Glorify Killing Christians and Jews

Security guard, Arizona moving company employees help recover 2-year-old allegedly taken by unrelated woman

Rubio, Ratcliffe to deliver classified Iran briefing to Gang of Eight ahead of Trump’s State of the Union

Erika Kirk to be Trump’s guest at State of the Union

CNN Data Analyst Calls 2028 Democrat Field a ‘Clown Car,’ Says Newsom Is ‘Flailing’

Iowa congressman took cash from Chinese companies buying American farmland

Dem rep identifies himself as one of this year’s State of the Union designated survivors

Evil: Newsom’s Team Decides to Free Child Molester Whose Crimes We Can’t Fully Describe Here (and You Wouldn’t Want Us To)

Pure Gold: GOP Gov. of Mississippi Offers to Send Reading Teachers to Coach Gavin Newsom Since Black Students in MS Are 2.5x Better Readers Than in CA

Growing number of Democrats skipping Trump’s 2026 State of the Union

Savannah Guthrie offers $1 million family reward for recovery of Nancy Guthrie

France restricts Trump ambassador’s access to officials after missed summons

Idaho woman accused of attempting to set fire to DHS building with stolen ambulance

Alert: Massive Development Reported in DOJ’s Sedition Case Against Mark Kelly, Others – Bad News for Trump Admin

Lack of information on health care prices is a widespread problem . It’s confusing for patients, and experts say it’s also one of the major factors that push up U.S. costs. The same test or procedure, in the same city, can cost widely different amounts depending on who is performing it and who is paying the bill. Hospital list prices, which are available, don’t reflect what they actually get paid by insurers and government programs.

The health insurance industry said disclosing negotiated prices will only encourage hospitals that are now providing deeper discounts to try to raise their rates to match the top-tier facilities. “Publicly disclosing competitively negotiated proprietary rates will reduce competition and push prices higher — not lower — for consumers, patients, and taxpayers,” Matt Eyles, head of the industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement.

While the prices Medicare pays are publicly available, private insurers’ negotiated rates generally are not. Industry officials say such contractual information is tantamount to trade secrets and should remain private.

Azar pushed back against that argument, saying insurers do ultimately disclose their payment rates when they send individual patients an “explanation of benefits.” That’s the technical term for the form that patients get after they’ve had a procedure or seen the doctor.