America’s Most Expensive Night Stay? The Average Hospital Room

Thank God for modern medicine. That said, the term modern is entirely relative.

As public interest in preventative health grows and disruptive technologies turn their sights on the healthcare industry, it's easy to see that we have so much further to go.

High-tech healthcare start-up Forward is helping us to envision how modern healthcare could evolve. A primary care provider focused on long-term health, Forward's cutting-edge technologies like real-time lab results, genetic testing, and connected health sensors are attracting attention from a growing number of healthcare consumers, not to mention high-profile investors like Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff, Uber cofounder Garrett Camp and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

Today, Forward launched the above press stunt with Netflix Selling Sunset's Amanza Smith, complete with a fake airbnb listing that has us reeling. The video is meant to stir public discourse around some of our current healthcare system's glaring flaws and insurance-based cost structures -- realities that most Americans are all too familiar with. 

According to Forward, many insurance companies have policies that can restrict doctors from providing the care that patients actually need to prevent serious diseases, live longer, and meaningfully engage with their doctor. About 1 in 3 of us die early from "preventable" diseases such as cancer, heart attack, stroke.

Here are more statistics that the healthcare start-up wants more Americans to be aware of...

+ Approximately 40% deaths each year are preventable (i.e., preventative care is key, but not a focus of the current system).

+ 66.5% of all bankruptcies are tied to medical issues and costs.

+ The U.S. spends nearly twice as much on healthcare compared to other developed countries, but ranks last on health care outcomes.

+ The price of hospital services has increased 207.5% since January 2000.

+ Health spending across the nation grew 9.7% to $4.1 trillion in 2020, or $12,530 per person, and accounted for 19.7% of Gross Domestic Product.

+ Around 20% of the average employee's income goes toward healthcare. The average employee pays $428 out of their own pocket each month for health insurance. Meanwhile, the average deductible in 2019 for a family health plan was $3,655 (i.e., people are paying more for less).

+ Claim denial rates are up 23% since 2016, forcing people to forego treatment or pay out-of-pocket.

While statistics like these can be depressing, they also bring clarity where it's needed most. Big ships turn slowly, but companies like Forward bring us hope that new approaches to personal healthcare are emerging even now.

An initial visit to a Forward location includes an in-depth biometric scan, blood testing with results in just twelve minutes, genetic analysis, the centralization of your medical history and a personalized wellness plan.

Read Next: How To Be Your Own Advocate Within The American Healthcare System

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