5 Healthyish Things, including medical tourism and fast food

Imagine if you went to a grocery store, bought all the recommended food items without any sense of price, and then months later got a massive bill for what they cost. Sound familiar? Well, welcome to the completely bonkers, broken American healthcare system. There’s no easy way to know what you’ll pay for care… but hey, maybe there’s an easy-ish way to get it cheaper? 

Meet medical tourism, which is most definitely a thing. Estimates put the medical tourism industry at $9.7 billion as of 2022, and it’s only going up from there. The Medical Tourism Association says roughly 14 million people travel to a different country to seek medical treatment each year. Yes, our country’s advanced tech and expertise bring people here for certain specialized treatments—our healthcare (especially on the more complex stuff) is best-in-class. But for standard & common procedures (surgeries, scans, you name it), there’s a whole world of tremendous care… at much more affordable prices. For example, see this in depth check-up with over 30 scans, tests, and cancer markers you can get in Türkiye for only $810. 

@bryn.elise

Trying the VIP checkup package 🫢 Memorial Hospital Bahçelievler📍 To make an appointment i just went to the Memorial.com.tr website and fil... See more

Even I can attest to the quality and affordability of healthcare abroad. Last month, when one of my kiddos came down with croup while we were in Portugal, we decided to take her to the hospital (just to be safe—she’s fine now 🙏). The visit cost us €100 flat at a nearby private hospital for what was essentially best-in-class, unlimited care. No hidden fees, no strings attached. 🤯 They did exactly what someone in the US would do for an obscene fraction of the price.

It’s surprising to me there aren’t more people hopping on board the medical tourism train, which still feels so niche. I get the skepticism and uncertainty holding people back, but it’s ridiculous to think our doctors would be better than the best possible place in Brazil (or wherever). And it’s not like people trust our system much either. 

When cost is such an issue that it holds people back from (sometimes essential) healthcare, medical tourism should probably be considered more often. And FYI: There are actually many ways to know whether or not a hospital is good and reputable (Joint Commision International, Global Healthcare Accreditation, and Accreditation Canada, for starters).

There’s lots more to say on this subject—weird incentives from your health insurance (like would they actually mind if you go abroad to do something safe? They probably prefer it!), getting access to surgeries/procedures/drugs you might not get in the US, doing experimental treatments, etc. But for now, all I’m saying is medical tourism is a thing (and I think I’m into it).

We’re likely in the very early innings of understanding the downstream effects of widespread GLP-1 usage. Its influence continues to reach new territories—not just obvious, food-related changes (like less people dining out, buying trash food products, etc.) but adjacent cultural shifts, too. 

Case in point: resale platforms like Poshmark and GoodwillFinds are seeing an influx of plus size clothing as more people lose weight with the help of GLP-1s.

This is just the beginning. My guess is we’ll see GLP-1 usage affecting everything from dating to design. It’s interesting to think ahead to a world where everyone is on GLP-1s (“the miracle pill”) and all the potential ways this could change things (for better or worse…).

I’m curious—what other parts of life do you think will unexpectedly change as GLP-1s continue to get more mainstream? Respond to this email and let me know!

I’ll admit I disagree with most things RFK Jr. says and stands for, from his dangerous anti-vax stance to his, er, unBEARable sense of humor… so I was never expecting to find myself nodding along to anything that came out of this guy’s mouth.

But… life is full of surprises. In his speech dropping out, he made some awfully  strong points about how we can improve health and healthcare in this country.

And I basically agree with all of them? For one thing, he’s all about reducing seed oils, processed foods, and sugar in the American diet (all of which are things that are likely or definitely bad for you). And he’s right in saying there’s corruption—or at least perverse incentives—at the FDA, USDA, CDC, and really at all levels of government when it comes to enabling terrible health outcomes, the highest chronic disease rate on earth, and toxic foods that basically no other country allows. He even called out Dr. Casey & Calley Means, both of which I’ve mentioned before in this very newsletter! Crazy.

Anyway, I believe our political leaders should represent the best of us. We’re in a moment where that is rare. But I sure would love to see a clear way out of our chronic disease crisis and if RFK Jr. is going to help, then I’m into that part at least.

If I’m on the go and need a quick lunch, I’m looking for the nearest Chipotle or Cava. Both chains use real, fresh ingredients—a far cry from the processed, frozen stuff you’ll find at other fast food joints. These are obviously the most accessible healthyish foods you can get in a hurry, and I’m basically an unabashed stan for both. 

Of course, you can get unhealthy things at both places too… probably a big part of why they’re still in business. Healthy solutions alone wouldn’t keep them afloat. 😬 But still, options are good!

The other reason they—and Chipotle in particular—are doing so well? Strong leadership. Former Chipotle CEO (now incoming Starbucks CEO) Brian Niccol  increased their stock prices by roughly 800% since he was brought on to fix the company’s tanking reputation after foodborne illness outbreaks in 2018 (which will sometimes happen when your ingredients are fresh). I’m actually a big fan of his. No matter how you feel about CEOs getting paid bazillions, they often do—and he sure looks like he’s worth it. (Disclaimer: I don’t have any inside info, though my father’s most random claim to fame is actually having served on Chipotle’s board for some time.)

Part of Brian Niccol’s successful strategy involved a better rewards program and now Cava is following his lead by expanding their own updated loyalty program next month. The gamification works—I find myself eager to rack up points and get extra rewards on my Cava app (we’ve been early members here in Austin). 

I think loyalty programs like these are smart moves that should be on every food company’s radar. Here’s hoping Cava’s and Chipotle’s are enough to keep them thriving. 🌯

I don't want to claim I started a healthcare marketing trend… but if you see a virtual-first clinic that says "Finally," at the top of their site before describing their core value proposition, you're welcome. 🙃

Ok, ok… so maybe there are a few examples before my time (shouts to Yarone Goren, co-founder of SteadyMD who made his case for a 2016 iteration). Great minds think alike.

But I’ve found that since I started pushing for this F word in healthcare marketing, I see it everywhere—Oshi, Parsley, Neura Health, Galileo (scroll down), Tia (see second headline)—and I only participated in some of them. 😂

There's so much pent up frustration with the healthcare system, especially for complex or niche care. "Finally" expresses aloud what so many successful patients of these companies feel. It's an emotional relief to finally find what you're looking for, finally feel seen, and finally get the help in a way that gives you control and agency back from the traditional system.