Forward is a health clinic and app created by a San Francisco-based medical startup company. Find out how Forward works today in our review.
What is Forward?
Go Forward is a platform that wants to be “the Apple Store of doctor’s offices”. Priced at $149 per month, the platform aims to change the future of doctor’s offices.
Forward is a relatively new company, so there’s little information available about the company online. Recently, a TechCrunch writer visited the company’s offices and described her experience, and a lot of the information in this article is based on that experience.
Forward is located at 180 Sutter St. You visit their high-tech location for on-demand health services. You can also interact with the company’s medical professionals via the app.
Forward was created by former Google employee and Wavii founder Adrian Aoun.
How Does Forward Work?
There are two core parts of Forward’s services, including the app and the San Francisco medical facility.
You use the app to interact with medical professionals on demand. As a subscriber, you have 24/7 access to Forward’s nurses and doctors. You can also view your health data and results at all times via your phone.
Then there’s the Forward medical facility, a 3500 square foot office with 6 exam rooms, modern medical instruments, and an onsite lab that provides testing within minutes.
The TechCrunch writer linked above described her experience at the medical center:
“I scanned the room, eyeing a bunch of connected fitness tools and fancy skin serums on a glass table in the front, before what appeared to be a space age body scanner. Off to the side in bold letters against a blue wall were the words “Design your health.”
A key part of Forward’s strategy is to use AI to improve your health. Forward wants to use AI to learn more about your health over time – similar to how social media platforms like Facebook learn more about their members over time to help deliver better advertisements.
With that in mind, Forward has a proprietary AI that helps its doctors quickly sort through medical information, then compare that information to your health data.
Genetic testing is also at the forefront of the Forward experience. Before you start using a medication, for example, Forward will scan through known data to determine if it will work with your genetic code – along with other physiological information about your body.
That physiological information is gathered from the Forward lab itself. At that lab, you’ll undergo tests. There’s also a large body scanner in the lobby. Using that body scanner is as simple as stepping into the machine, then placing two of your left middle fingers into a sensor. The machine calculates your height, weight, body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and other information simultaneously.
Forward Pricing and Payment Plan
Forward is priced at $149 per month, billed annually ($1788 per year).
That subscription fee gives you unlimited access to all Forward medical staff, baseline screening, blood and genetic testing, wellness and nutrition counseling, ongoing monitoring from wearable sensors provided at the clinic, and access to the Forward AI.
The system may be particularly popular for those without insurance. Forward doesn’t bill your insurance or charge co-pays:
“for those without insurance, it may be a more affordable health plan as well, barring any major issues. Medical debt is the biggest contributor to debt in the United States because of the high cost of our medical care system. Going without insurance means going without access to doctors and medicine and that can mean a death sentence to many”, explains TechCrunch.
Forward actually has a plan where certain demographics can receive heavily discounted rates on their Forward subscription. Approximately 15% of the company’s early members come from “underserved communities” and have received free memberships.
All members also get their first month of prescription medicine free of charge through Forward’s onsite pharmacy.
As Forward continues to grow, the company plans to sell vitamins and supplements through its on-site pharmacy, as well as alternative wearables. Eventually, they’d like to expand into offering acupuncture and other alternative treatments.
Should You Sign Up for Forward?
America has the most expensive medical system on the planet. For many Americans, these high costs mean they can’t afford even the most basic medical services – like annual checkups or preventative care. Forward is a platform that aims to make modern healthcare affordable for Americans through its state-of-the-art downtown San Francisco medical center. You sign up, pay $150 per month (billed annually), then get 24/7 access to Forward’s team of nurses and doctors. You can visit the clinic to undergo genetic testing, regular checkups, or health/wellness testing – most of which is included unlimited in your plan.
Forward isn’t designed exclusively for Americans without health insurance. However, it may be particularly appealing to that group. You can learn more about Forward today by visiting GoForward.com.
Wouldnt recommend.