It’s hard to see reports of the astronomical costs of American healthcare and not become immediately desensitized to the enormity of it all. In 2021, fueled somewhat by the pandemic, American healthcare costs topped $4.3 trillion (membership required). By 2028, that number could surpass $6 trillion.

Staggering. Unprecedented. Terrifying. Unsustainable. All those words ring true. Frankly, they have rung true for decades. But what are we committed to doing about it other than enabling giant corporate healthcare companies to continue consolidating the market and profiting from it? And what hope do we have of a tidal shift in healthcare spending over the course of the next couple of decades?

Consider that in 2002, there were zero healthcare-centric companies among the 20 largest publicly traded companies in America by revenue. Fast-forward to 2022, and there are eight healthcare-centric companies among the largest companies by revenue, including two of the top five. Additionally, the top three companies are all pursuing their own healthcare agendas. Perhaps the most concerning observation: None of those eight healthcare-centric companies are, at their core, healthcare provider organizations or leading pioneers for medical breakthroughs.

As industry leaders, we must examine how we can break this cycle of unending, upward costs with questionable-at-best value. By clarifying for ourselves where the dollars are moving today, we can each do our part to ensure that the investment of future dollars can result in change that’s productive, transformative and enduring.