- SPANNR
- Posts
- Issue #51
Issue #51
Spannr merch giveaway for the best ideas around...
May 18, 2023 | Issue #51
Good afternoon. Have a good idea for preventative health care? Read below, send us your thoughts, and we'll send some Spannr merch to the those with the best ideas!In this week's newsletter:đ´ A Trojan Horse for preventative health care?đ¸ NewLimit raises even more moneyđ Intermittent fasting study recruiting (paid!) participants
A Trojan Horse for Preventative Health Care?
Have you heard about the latest diet drug that all of the cool kids are taking?
Chelsea Handler, Andy Stern, and even Elon Musk have all admitted to using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss with hundreds of thousands more following their lead.
Although most of the drugs being prescribed were originally intended for those with type 2 diabetes, interest from those simply looking to lose weight has skyrocketed. And at nearly $1,000 per month in prescription fees, it's not cheap.
With this high price tag, more people who don't have type 2 diabetes are figuring out ways to get their insurance to cover the costs.
Although most health insurance plans don't cover weight loss drugs (weight loss is usually considered to be cosmetic), they will cover diabetes drugs.
So, how does someone get insurance to cover a diabetes drug, if they aren't diabetic?
Some patients are writing well researched letters to their doctors, to get a prescription for a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, with the intent of avoiding future diseases based on family medical history.
Gray area? Of course. But it's working for some, with doctors prescriptions of Ozempic, Wegovy, and other GLP-1 drugs being covered by insurance for non-diabetic patients.
In theory this should make sense... If a health insurance customer is taking proactive measures to reduce future diseases, why not help? It's possible that preventing future diseases, that insurance would cover, may be more expensive than covering preventative measures.
Obviously there is a cost to benefit ratio that insurance companies need to balance, but this situation does make one wonder...
Opening Up a Can of Worms?
Although weight lose drugs and
may have unknown longterm side effects, there are many proven measures that prevent disease and promote longevity.
For example,
and
can significantly increase your health, resulting in lower rates of disease and decreased future health complications.
Should health insurance plans cover products and services that help with sleep and stress?
More importantly: How can health insurance companies provide preventative products and services, while still maintaining a solvent business model?
What do you think? Reply to this email with your most creative preventative health care plan that you think insurance companies might embrace. We'll send you some Spannr merch as a 'thank you' for the best ideas that are shared with us!
NewLimit has secured $40 million in Series A funding from Dimension, Founders Fund, and Kleiner Perkins with participation from Eric Schmidt, Elad Gil, Garry Tan, and Fred Ehrsam. This new funding is in addition to the foundersâ original $110 million commitment to the company.
MultiOmic Health, an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled drug discovery company, has closed a ÂŁ5 million ($6.2 million) seed funding extension round to build its precision therapeutics discovery platform for metabolic syndrome-related medical conditions. The round was led by London-based Hoxton Ventures, with participation from Ada Ventures, MMC Ventures and Verve Ventures.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Gets Candid on Career, Failures, Aging: âMy Plan Is to Live Foreverâ (The Hollywood Reporter)
Healthy adults needed for an exciting study to see if intermittent fasting or calorie-counting can slow aging (PBRC)
Bat Proteins May Hold The Key To Human Life Longevity According To This New Research (Curly Tales)
How genetics determine our life choices (BBC)
Depressionâs Unexpected Role in Accelerating Biological Aging (SciTech Daily)
Aging dogs provide insights for human longevity (DDN)
Performance:
Latest Price: $116.807d-Return: 3.3%Market Cap: $11.97b
ABOUT SPANNR
We are dedicated to helping people understand the biggest business and health story of all time: the unprecedented transformation of society that will result from extending human healthspan and lifespan.
If you have any questions about Spannr or want to get to know us better,
â we'd love to hear from you. We appreciate your interest in what we are creating.