Every Voice Matters: From A Trickle to Transformation

I didn’t start my career in healthcare because I had all the answers. I started it because I was blindsided—just like so many others.

In 2011, my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. It was a joyful, unforgettable moment—and financially manageable. After all the hospital visits, care, and delivery, we owed just about $500 out-of-pocket. We thought that was normal.

Three years later, our second child arrived. Same hospital. Same OB. Same pediatrician. But this time, the bill was over $10,000 out-of-pocket.

What changed?

• Not the care.

• Not the hospital.

• Not the baby.

The only thing that changed was the health insurance plan I had selected during open enrollment.

It was in that moment—staring at the medical bills and realizing how little I understood about a system I thought I could trust—that I knew something had to change. For me, for my family, and for every other person trying to navigate a healthcare system that is anything but transparent.

That moment was my wake-up call. And it launched my journey into the world of employee benefits.

But I quickly learned: this wasn’t just my story. This was happening everywhere, every day, to people with good jobs and good intentions—left completely in the dark.

That’s why I created Herb On Health. Not just to tell my story—but to amplify yours.

Why Herb On Health Exists

For too long, we’ve tolerated a broken system—one where costs rise without reason, options feel confusing by design, and the people footing the bill (employers, employees, families) are given the least amount of power.

But across the country, a new movement is rising. I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with change-makers like:

• Dave Chase of Health Rosetta, who is rearchitecting how plans are designed for value, not volume.

• Dr. Marty Makary, exposing the moral hazards of unchecked hospital pricing.

• Dr. Eric Bricker, who translates healthcare complexity into clarity.

• Christin Deacon, a public sector innovator now leading bold conversations nationwide.

• Spencer Smith, whose Self Funded platform empowers employers to break free from the “Buca” cartel.

• Marshall Allen, author of Never Pay the First Bill, showing consumers how to fight back.

• Stacey Richter, host of Relentless Health Value, amplifying truth-tellers inside the system.

These voices—and many others—are no longer lone wolves. Together, we are building a chorus of change.

Herb On Health is my way of joining and amplifying that movement.

From Trickle to Raging River

Healthcare transformation won’t come from Washington. It will come from us.

One advisor questioning the spreadsheet. One benefits leader designing with intention. One nurse challenging unnecessary care. One parent asking, “Why does this cost so much more now?”

Every one of those moments is a drop of change. And together, those drops form a stream—and eventually, a raging river of transformation.

The Mission Forward

This is your invitation.

Whether you’re a CHRO trying to make better plan decisions…A broker tired of playing defense…A clinician ready to reclaim patient care…Or a family still reeling from a bill you don’t understand—

Your voice matters.

Herb On Health is here to give you tools, stories, strategies—and most of all—a community.

We don’t believe in status quo. We believe in shared knowledge, radical transparency, and bold leadership from every corner of the healthcare supply chain.

From Inspiration to Activation

We’ll expose what’s broken, highlight what works, and push for a better system that works for real people.

We’ll call out bad actors and celebrate brave innovators.

And we’ll help you go from frustrated to informed… and from informed to empowered.

Because we don’t need more noise. We need momentum.

Let’s turn up the volume. Let’s build the river. Together.

Subscribe. Share. Speak out.

The next voice that tips the flood might be yours.