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Wellness and longevity players are betting that scaling their platforms will help bring down prices and reach less affluent consumers.

Why it matters: Investors have flooded the zone in recent years — but without insurance reimbursement, some startups may struggle.

State of play: Americans spend about $500 billion annually on wellness. Most companies in the space operate a direct-to-consumer model, charging hundreds for devices and tests.

What they're saying: It could take up to a decade for scale to trickle down to pricing, Viome CEO Naveen Jain said on an Axios-moderated panel at the HLTH 2025 conference in Las Vegas.

The company sells diagnostic tests and bundled products such as supplements with the aim of improving overall health.

"Imagine, five years ago, our service would be $3,000. Today we sell them for $399," said Peter Diamandis, executive chairman at XPRIZE. "That service, because of the economies of scale, is going to come down to under $100 in the next couple of years."

What's next: Oura is working with Essence Healthcare, which subsidizes the cost of Oura's rings for Medicare Advantage members.

"If they could bend the curve on behavior, health intervention and prediction, they'll see the benefit within 10 years of signing up that beneficiary, and that's a financial benefit," Oura CEO Tom Hale said.

Reality check: Big Health isn't yet buying into wearables at scale.

"Wearables offer exciting potential by giving individuals real-time insights and keeping wellness top of mind, but they remain cost-prohibitive for many households," says Misha Palecek, chief transformation officer at DaVita, who adds that his company instead is focusing on its existing care navigation tools and mobile app.

Will scale save wellness and longevity companies?

Investors have flooded the zone in recent years — but without insurance reimbursement, some startups may struggle.

Three people seated on bright pink chairs on stage during a panel discussion, with blue and purple lighting and white columns in the background.

From left to right: Erin Brodwin, Peter Diamandis and Naveen Jain. Credit: Michael Vanarey/HLTH

Wellness and longevity players are betting that scaling their platforms will help bring down prices and reach less affluent consumers.Why it matters: Investors have flooded the zone in recent years — but without insurance reimbursement, some startups may struggle.

Will scale save wellness and longevity companies?

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