Why We Participated in *Through* — A Film on the Real Cost of Health Care

American health care costs more than anywhere else in the world — and yet for most patients, the price of care remains invisible until weeks after it’s delivered. Bills arrive buried in paperwork, shaped by rules few people understand, leaving families anxious, confused, and financially exposed.

That’s why we were honored to participate with Stand Together in the creation of Through, a short film exploring why prices keep rising even as coverage expands — and what happens when patients regain visibility, choice, and control.

The film traces how we arrived here. Over time, health care drifted away from a system built around individuals and toward one dominated by third-party decision-making. Insurance, once intended to protect against rare and catastrophic events, became the default way to pay for routine care. As transparency faded, competition weakened. Prices rose. Patients lost the ability to make informed decisions about their own health.

But the story doesn’t stop there.

Across the country, different approaches are quietly challenging long-held assumptions. Some providers publish prices upfront. Others offer primary care through simple monthly memberships, separating everyday care from insurance entirely. These models don’t claim to be perfect — but they reveal something essential: when clarity returns, trust grows. When competition returns, costs fall. When patients are placed back at the center, care starts to feel human again.

Through isn’t about ideology or easy answers. It’s about asking better questions — and showing that affordability isn’t a mystery of medicine, but a function of how the system is structured.

If you care about the future of health care, it’s worth watching.

Through — Putting patients back in control www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW084QADr5A