Need help losing weight or dealing with depression? How about a pill to lower cholesterol and treat erectile dysfunction?
Online subscription services for care have grown far beyond their roots, primarily dealing with hair loss, acne, or birth control. Companies like Hims & Hers, Ro, and Lemonaid Health offer quick access to specialists and regular prescription delivery for a growing number of health problems.
Hims recently launched a weight loss program starting at $79 per month without insurance. Lemonade launched treatments for seasonal affective disorder last winter for $95 a month. Ro still offers birth control, but also offers regular ovulation tests and prenatal vitamins to patients who are trying to have children.
This Netflix-like approach promises to help solve two common problems in the United States. access to healthcare and prescription refills. But it also raises concerns about quality of care.
“This is not a drug. This is selling a drug to consumers,” says Dr. Adrian Huberman, a drug marketing researcher at Georgetown University.
Online providers say they screen patients carefully and send customers elsewhere if they can't help. They also believe they have access to a much-needed care approach to their patients.
“The growth we're seeing on our platform is a testament to how people are getting the care they need,” Hims spokesperson Kobi Brooklyn said in a statement.
Hims, a listed company, surpassed 1.4 million subscribers this year. The company expects annual sales of at least $1.2 billion by 2025.
This pales in comparison to the more than $300 billion in annual revenue generated by healthcare giants like CVS Health. But his 2025 prediction for Hims is more than eight times his prediction the company gave him at the beginning of the decade.
Subscription-based healthcare has been around for many years, especially in the following regions: primary care, patients can improve access to doctors by paying a monthly fee. E-commerce giant Amazon recently entered this niche with a subscription plan that offers virtual and in-person care to some customers.
Online versions of subscription-based care began to grow. COVID-19 pandemic Americans are now more comfortable using telemedicine. This has led to a surge of investor money into companies that provide this care, said Dr. Atiev Mehrotra, a Harvard University researcher who studies consumer health care.
Many symptom-based plans provide patients with regular visits with a health care provider and regular prescriptions for a monthly fee.
That simplicity can be appealing, Mehrotra said.
“Just like paying for something like Netflix, you can get the care you need and get on with your life,” he said.
After he started losing weight earlier this month. heart health Last summer, I started a program that included a combination pill treatment.
Rival Ro last year added a weight-loss menu to its lineup, which also includes treatment plans for issues such as eczema, excessive sweating and short eyelashes.
Lemonaid offers treatment plans for insomnia and high blood pressure. It also touts that you can manage your cholesterol for $223 a year without insurance. This includes health care provider visits, laboratory work, generic drug prescriptions, and more.
These companies still promote support for sexual health, especially on social media. But broader growth remains the priority.
Hims said in a regulatory filing that it sees significant future opportunities in menopause, post-traumatic stress disorder and diabetes.
Ro CEO Zach Reitano said in an interview earlier this year that the company's obesity treatment is “upstream” of other chronic diseases. He said patients seeking help with weight loss are also interested in improving their overall health.
Reitano told The Associated Press that he believes one of the health care system's biggest problems is that it “is not built around what patients want.”
Subscriptions, whether for medications or meal kits, have predictable costs and may seem like a good deal at first. But Jason Goldberg, chief commerce strategy officer at Publicis Groupe, said customer enthusiasm may wane and companies may feel pressure to find new business.
This approach also comes with reputational issues.
Rob Roy Chalmers turned to him for treatment for erectile dysfunction. However, the Seattle artist decided to cancel the subscription after a few months and cut costs.
I kept receiving bills even after I thought I had canceled my subscription. He said he emailed and called customer service. He didn't respond until people criticized him on social media.
“The effort I had to go through to make them good was too much,” he said. “In my mind, this is an all-subscription-based company.”
Fugh-Berman is primarily concerned about quality of care. She noted that talk therapy can be as effective as prescriptions for some symptoms.
“Mental health care should never be just about drugs,” she says.
She also noted that diagnoses can change over time. Patients who take medications regularly should be monitored in case the medication causes problems such as high blood pressure.
That's what Lemonade Health is doing, according to Dr. Matthew Walbick, the company's chief medical officer. He said Lemonade regularly follows up with patients to monitor side effects and update medical histories.
Brooklyn said Hims' mental health care program includes psychiatry and talk therapy.
Representatives from both companies said they also encourage patients to receive direct assistance if needed.
Mehrotra has broader concerns. He noted that when customers come to these companies with specific symptoms or medications in mind, the overall health of the patient can be overlooked.
She noted that people who visit their GP for contraception may also be tested for depression.
“These companies are very solution-oriented,” Mehrotra said. “They're not thinking about comprehensive care.”
Walwick said Lemonade collects extensive patient medical histories that delve into issues such as smoking and drug use to provide “the best comprehensive care possible.”
Ms Brooklyn said Hims & Hers provides access to safe treatment for many issues, but it should not replace a GP. She added that all parts of the health system should focus on improving access.
“The traditional health care system in the United States has always been slow to adapt to the changing needs of society,” she says.
