CrossFit & 23andMe Leading New Wave in Telemedicine
Telemedicine is becoming more of a certainty in today’s world, and two major companies are jumping headfirst into the growing landscape. CrossFit & 23andMe are now a part of the virtual primary care universe, with the latter acquiring Lemonaid Health in a $400 million deal, and the former creating their own virtual primary care platform.
Telehealth is experiencing an unprecedented promotion in the virtual primary care landscape. And according to reports, there are two companies at the forefront of the competition ready to cash in. CrossFit & 23andMe are hedging their hefty bets, with the latter signing a $400 million deal with Lemonaid Health in order to provide “genetically informed primary care” for customers.
As for CrossFit, the world-leading fitness brand is going their own way with a virtual primary care service platform called CrossFit Precision Care. The personalized system will help craft the best healthcare for users with the guidance of CrossFit-trained doctors, health coaches and data. The four-step plan includes choosing a level of care based on budget and needs, full-range testing, individualized diet, exercise and recovery recommendations and ongoing care. As of October 25, a waitlist for potential CrossFit Precision Care clients was in effect.
CrossFit CEO Eric Roza told Men’s Health the idea for the Precision Care was born out of a concern from doctors who felt a disconnect between themselves and their patients.
Roza added, “We said, look, we’ve got all these doctors in the CrossFit community who believe in what CrossFit can do inside the gym — what if we created a a logical extension to now to where outside of the gym as well, they’re getting access to cutting edge science, and nutrition and stress and sleep management and things like that, to complement what they’re doing in the gym.”
23andMe, known for utilizing consumers’ raw genetic data, is taking their approach to the next level with the acquisition of Lemonaid Health. The biotechnology company’s aim is to help change the way personalized healthcare is gained with “recommendations and plans that are specific to you.”
Other healthcare companies such as OneMedical and Crossover Health are diving into the growing virtual primary care space. Time will tell whether the likes of Peloton or Nike will join the ranks of digitized healthcare. But with telehealth becoming more of a welcome convenience for doctors and patients in a TikTok world, the chances of that happening are high.
