"Where Health Meets Medicine"
The context of “Health” is of course at the individual level.
The business model/industry of “Health” is split between The
Healthy (like managing a garden) and the Sick (like managing a machine).
The way to view this new battlefront is “Health” versus “Medicine”.
Not that Medicine is bad—it’s obligation is not Health—But
Medicine-- The current USA Healthcare System ( Managed Care/Sickcare)
is positioned and actually stuck in the “Sick” side, providing
the same old service of “Cost Containment” that continues
to provide Less—and—Less while costing More—and--More.
It has positioned itself to the model where the “Healthy Many”
pay for the ‘Exceptional Sick”. Well, who looks after the
“Healthy Many”? There is a new industry forming --we call
the “Wellcare or Healthy industry. This is where Capitalism meets
Quality of Life issues. The Sickcare industry pays lip service to the
quality of life or lifestyle issues and overlooks this group but depends
on them to underutilize the system. So, driven by Anti-Aging, worried
Well, Risk, Sports, Performance, Higher Quality Life, etc. this group
of “Health Farmers” spend Billions every year on Healthy/WellCare
services, mostly outside the insurance side—Sickcare.
The management of this Healthy market is in it’s infancy and as such is completely disorganized but yet has massive demand and growth, with no end in sight. The aging baby boomer will not allow aging in their life’s. While the Sickcare Market is in Excess of 1 trillion dollars—it’s safe to say that about 50% again is outside that market in Healthy.
Healthy.com is a Brand that's been around for almost 15 years and is truly "Healthy Driven" as it represents an answer to the desires of the consumers—To stay Healthy. By the way, the "YOU" in Healthy is the most important as they have the greatest interest in their outcome. Whether worried well—or pre-disease states the individual is the unanswered demand seeking direction, information and help for their lifestyle.
An important first step about providing key--technical In-Formation in the Healthy market is just now forming—Consumer Direct Clinical Services (CDCS), or Direst Access testing (DAT). Without a doctor or hospital involved, and individual can get a complete Lab screening from cholesterol to genetics in 2 days at ½ the price charged by the health system. These tests are not aimed at diagnosis (see your Doctor with the results for that) but maintaining--monitoring--and wellness improvement. Also, the individual owns the results or record. These services are actually performed by the same laboratories that service the medical or Sickcare side.
Most importantly the level of technology improvement and R&D in non-invasive
biological and genomic testing is moving exponentially which will continue
to provide better data at less cost for the individual. Many healthcare
professionals feel the family doctor screening and the general Physical
Exam output is not up on the “Latest” medical findings about
good limits for “Health”. There was a time that Total Cholesterol
was OK at 270.
Recognizing the sickcare system is not going to change other than get
more expensive—Either insured or not---the consumer is wanting information,
choice and a new unbiased party, that’s Healthy driven, to enter
the foe at least, initially, for testing monitoring and coaching prior
to a disease state. DAT is the “Crack” in the dam that will
usher in science and technology to the Healthy. Taxpayers have spent Billions
on research to develop this science why not use it to manage Lifestyle
rather than just sickness.
“Returning market power and decision making authority back to the individual-- consumer directed healthcare-- is critical to the creation of a 21st Century intelligent health and healthcare system that offers more choices and better quality at lower cost” Newt Gingrich CDHC—6-05
Make no mistake—This is not another pass at selling Prevention or Wellness—It’s a user friendly Knowledge System for the individual, with the leverage of science, health/biological testing, and informatics, regardless of the payer. It’s where “Health Meets Medicine”
Copyright Healthy.com 2003
