Not enough people actually tried to do what you did, so the high deductible plans didn't provide the desired result.
I think they could, but more people would need to be in them and try to do what you did. It needs to be enough people to eliminate the problem where insurance companies like the system being too complex because then you use them instead of paying for it our of pocket.
High deductible health plans are close to half of all policies now (in 2017 it was 43.2% according to the CDC).
Insurance companies clearly have nothing to worry about. I might be able to put in extra effort to negotiate my costs down by paying out of pocket, but then it would not count towards my deductible or out of pocket maximum. Even with HDHP, I am still clearly incentivized to just pay whatever the insurance company thinks I should.
It's a great racket to be in, really. They can negotiate the pricing in advance so that they appear to be useful in making my costs lower, while not actually incurring any costs other than paperwork. They hold all the cards and they have captured the regulatory authorities.
I think they could, but more people would need to be in them and try to do what you did. It needs to be enough people to eliminate the problem where insurance companies like the system being too complex because then you use them instead of paying for it our of pocket.