If you‘re like me, you‘re fed up with a healthcare system that‘s reactive, fragmented and frustrating to navigate. I used to settle for mediocre access and support from my doctors. That was until I discovered Forward Healthcare.
Forward burst onto the scene back in 2017 aiming to deliver patient-first, proactive and integrated care. As a health-focused professional with high standards, I had to try it out for myself.
Over the last 8 months, I‘ve now used Forward for everything from preventative screening to chronic condition management. Today, I‘ll give you an inside look at my experience and whether this buzzy startup lives up the hype.
What Exactly is Forward Healthcare?
Before getting into my review, let‘s start with the basics on Forward Healthcare:
Origins – Founded in 2017 by former executives from Uber, Google and more. Raised $100M initially.
Care Model – Combination of virtual access and physical "Forward Centers". Uses advanced testing and tracking.
Services – Primary care, chronic disease programs, preventative screening, weight loss & more.
Pricing – Fixed monthly ($149/mo) or yearly ($1639/yr) fees without insurance contracts.
Current Reach – Over 37,000 members. Physical centers in ~20 major metro areas so far.
Unlike anything I’d experienced before, Forward seemed to focus equally on convenient access, proactive recommendations and deeply personalized care. I‘ll unpack how those play out.
Examining Forward‘s Flagship Programs
As a hard-to-impress health consumer, I naturally wanted to scrutinize some of Forward‘s premier offerings. Here’s how three of their most popular services stacked up after I took them for a test drive…
Heart Health
Managing heart health is deeply personal for me, so I enrolled in Forward‘s 12-week cardiovascular program. It included advanced blood testing, heart attack risk analysis, blood pressure monitoring, and custom diet/exercise planning.
Over the 90 days, I connected regularly with my care team, hit my fitness goals and saw solid improvements in critical heart health biomarkers. While the shortened duration meant lasting lifestyle changes took real commitment, it put me firmly on the right track.
Biggest Pros – Holistic approach, world-class testing capabilities, connectivity with care team
Potential Cons – Maintaining changes post-program takes discipline, upcharges for extensive testing
Cancer Prevention
This program focused on evidence-based early detection and prevention for common malignancies like skin, breast and colon cancers. I was skeptical at first, but it thoroughly analyzes genetic risk factors and schedules annual follow-up screenings.
While monitoring did surface a concerning skin lesion, Forward assisted quickly in coordinating removals and ongoing scrutiny. They also tracked down addons like sun protective clothing at cost.
Biggest Pros – Precise risk analysis, always-on support team, premium prevention tools provided
Potential Cons – Genetic test still rather costly, screening coordination can vary
Weight Loss & Wellness
As an avid amateur weightlifter, I sought out Forward’s help optimizing my fitness and shedding lingering pandemic pounds. They delivered a highly customized program adjusting my macronutrients, activity levels, recovery and more every 2 weeks.
I hit a level of fitness I didn‘t think possible while pushing 40. The check-ins and tweaks gave me continual motivation too. While it took serious effort, the results spoke for themselves.
Biggest Pros – Bespoke adjustments every 2 weeks, accountability without judgement
Potential Cons – Outcomes tied to your commitment, less structure than some programs
While not every offering hit the mark perfectly, the care team‘s eagerness to tailor programs won me over every time.
Unpacking Client Experiences With Forward
Curious if my glowing experience was an outlier, I interviewed two other Forward Healthcare members…
A 32-year old mother I spoke with first signed up during her high-risk pregnancy. She raved about the remote monitoring tools and 24/7 access to her care team:
"Being able to message my doctor and nurses any time brought me so much peace of mind. I felt supported through every up and down."
She did feel her virtual classes could be more interactive and consistent across locations. Since giving birth though, she finds Forward‘s family health toolkit indispensable.
I also queried a 60 year-old man using Forward to manage diabetes risks and medication levels. While initially skeptical, he‘s been thrilled by the care team‘s listening skills and personal interest:
"I never felt rushed on calls or that I couldn‘t ask questions. We optimized my health goals and treatment together. I wish I had this team years earlier!"
His main complaint was around billing inconsistencies for some recommended supplies. But overall, he finds the model far superior to traditional care.
While Forward still shows some growing pains, the resounding focus on collaborative, accountable relationships stood out from nearly all client commentary.
How Does Forward Healthcare Compare to Alternatives?
Of course, Forward isn‘t the only innovator aiming to upgrade healthcare. So how does it size up against competitors on key dimensions?
| Traditional Care | Teladoc | Parsley Health | Forward Healthcare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preventative Focus | Hit or Miss | Reactive | Proactive | Very Proactive |
| Personalization | Cookie Cutter | One-Size-Fits-All | Customized | Highly-Customized |
| Accessibility | Challenging | Very Accessible | Accessible | Hybrid Model |
| Price | Visit Fees + Premiums | Lower ($30-$200/visit) | Similar (~$150-200/month) | Competitive (~$150/month) |
| Specialist Integration | Fragmented Process | Minimal | Strong | Very Strong |
Forward stands apart in its ability to blend convenient virtual access with proactive and tailored in-person care. The comparable pricing also makes elevated health a reality for more people.
Determining if Forward Healthcare is Worth It
With all that context in mind, let‘s unpack who can benefit most from Forward Healthcare:
Best For – General wellness seekers, remote employees, proactive health optimizers, chronic disease management, customized care seekers
May Still Lack For – In-depth specialist care, extensive mental health, select amenities some centers have
I‘d especially encourage the value- and tech-focused to give Forward a hard look. The savvy population health tools and cost predictability keep me continually engaged.
Based on my first-hand testing though, here are the biggest signs Forward Healthcare may not satisfy:
- You expect extremely thorough in-person specialist care
- Your employer foots most of your current healthcare bills
- You dislike sharing personal health data virtually
- You have complex care needs requiring lots one-on-one oversight
For all other interest though, I couldn‘t recommend trialing Forward Healthcare strongly enough. At worst, you get indispensable insights into your health.
And at best, it unlocks vastly superior access, proactivity and a sense someone has your back through every health journey. That peace of mind can be life-changing.
Ready to Explore Forward Healthcare? Next Steps Await
I hope this first-hand review helped you gauge if Forward is poised to upgrade your health experience. To learn more or give it a try, visit GoForward.com and take their eligibility quiz today.
If you do give them shot, please reach out and let me know what you think! I‘m always happy to lend advice in getting the most from Forward‘s capabilities. Here‘s to taking the next step toward elevated health access for all.
