The Super Bowl ad from Hims & Hers, a telehealth company, is a bold statement on the state of healthcare in America. It opens with the provocative claim, 'Rich people live longer,' and follows with a montage spoofing America's wealthiest and wellness-obsessed figures. The ad positions Hims & Hers as a gateway to a different world of healthcare, offering personalized, cutting-edge therapies with concierge doctors available on demand. But is this the solution to America's healthcare woes? The company's actual offerings, including diagnostic blood testing and hormone therapy, may be more mundane than a facelift, but the ad emphasizes one thing they all share: They're all available to you, for a price. Telehealth platforms like Hims & Hers offer patients the ability to pay out of pocket for quick treatment, but the fine print often hides the requirement for a virtual consultation with a medical provider before receiving a prescription. This has raised concerns about the easy accessibility of unsafe drugs or those not needed. The medical community is worried about the ease of access to compounded GLP-1 pills, which are not reviewed by the FDA. The Obesity Society warns against using compounded GLP-1s, as they may not contain the appropriate active ingredients. Hims & Hers has responded by stating it will stop selling compounded GLP-1 pills. The ad is shrewd in its heavy-handedness, validating Americans' frustration with healthcare and positioning itself as a deliverer of justice. However, the pursuit of wellness has become central to American life and the economy, even when the benefits of many practices are questionable at best. Hims & Hers' diagnosis of the country's health gap is accurate, but the treatment it prescribes seems to be an unlikely cure.
