Feb 21, 2020 - Health

A Silicon Valley startup wants to make "executive physicals" available to more people

Caitlin Owens

Patient undergoes MRI scan — Photo: Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images

A Silicon Valley startup is attempting to make executive physicals — which are frequently offered as part of C-suite compensation — available to a larger audience, STAT reports.

Between the lines: The $3,500 annual membership is cheaper than a $20,000 weekend at the Mayo Clinic, but is still expensive and still subject to the same criticism — mainly that it's unnecessary.

Details: The startup, Q Bio, will offer a 75-minute examination and includes an MRI scan and genetic analysis. More comprehensive (and expensive) options are also available.

Major hospitals, by contrast, offer executive physical packages that range from $1,700 to $10,000. Other companies offer even more expensive versions.
Q Bio wants its patients to have annual exams so that their health can be tracked over time — something that experts say may not have wide health benefits or save the system money.

The bottom line: It's unclear how many people have paid for such exams since the Q Center opened in Silicon Valley late last year, but the company apparently has already had to create a waiting list.

Go deeper: Private insurance is health care's pot of gold

Add Axios on Google

A Silicon Valley startup wants to make "executive physicals" available to more people

What to read next