| One of my favorite ways to catch up with a friend is to ask them about the best thing they’ve eaten lately (usually after they return from a trip). Without further ado, I wanted to figure out what the best bites of the year were for health tech: |
| Most overdue story: Ahead of my chat with Verily CEO Stephen Gillett at HLTH, I downloaded the company’s new Verily Me app. I’ve been covering healthcare for the past decade, and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to download an app that can aggregate my health data from various
visits into one personal health record. It feels like a necessary step as AI starts to make different forms of health data more useful. |
| Newest concept: Littlemen. The rise of direct-to-employer programs this year, tapping into the rising success of cash-pay rates for weight loss drugs, got us so inspired we coined a new term. The companies facilitating the direct-to-employer coverage aren’t exactly middlemen in the way PBMs are,
they’re… littlemen. |
| Biggest shift in fortunes: If you’d asked me a few years ago, I might’ve said UnitedHealth Group would become the first healthcare company to hit a $1 trillion market cap. Health insurers were only getting bigger. But in 2025, their businesses strained under the pressure of rising medical costs and regulatory changes — UnitedHealth especially. And now, they’re facing additional attention directly from the president… |
| Most unexpected coverage: We covered wearables much more than expected, thanks to endorsements from the Trump administration, an FDA warning letter, and a mega funding round for smart-ring-maker Oura. I don’t expect that’ll change in 2026, with most consumer wearables companies starting to take the healthcare market more seriously. |
| Biggest letdown: For all the fanfare Hinge Health and Omada Health’s public offerings received, we’re still waiting on our next digital health IPO to materialize. |
| Most surprising trend: There’s been way more acceptance of using AI in mental healthcare, as Ngai has covered. What once was taboo has been embraced by virtual mental health companies and users alike. |
| The rebrand we saw on repeat: Digital health companies such as Hims and Noom are repositioning themselves as longevity companies to expand their pool of patients. I’d bet we’ll be covering more longevity plays in the
year ahead. |
| Most heartwarming moment: Seeing so many folks join us in NYC at our happy hour last month! Thanks for being a part of it! |
| - Lydia |
| P.S. – This is our last newsletter of 2025! We’ll be back in January, see you then! |
