The fitness company CrossFit announced earlier this month that it was launching a new primary care service aimed at providing an individualized approach to health.  

The company says it will also offer personalized, precision health and preventive medicine in addition to virtual primary care. "You deserve healthcare as effective as your CrossFit training," said CrossFit CEO Eric Roza said in a statement. "CrossFit Precision Care delivers measurable repeatable results and is the perfect complement to your CrossFit training.  

"CrossFit Precision Care offers a better model, in which each patient is treated as a unique human and participates in the development of a tailored plan to meet their health and fitness goals with doctors who also believe that CrossFit is central to health," Roza continued.  

WHY IT MATTERS  

CrossFit is offering its new services in partnership with the Wild Health platform, which says it uses a DNA kit to "analyze the genetic advantages, predispositions, and disadvantages [making] up your human operating system."  

According to the website, it will connect interested users with a care team comprising a doctor, health coach and care coordinator via a patient portal.  

"Our care teams are composed of people passionate about changing healthcare, and they’re also a part of the CrossFit community, including affiliate owners, coaches, and athletes just like you!" reads the website.  

The company touts its ability to offer an array of "extensive testing," as well as the option to track health metrics in one place and to receive a "fully comprehensive health plan."

Users who need specialty or in-person care can be referred elsewhere, although CrossFit says it hopes to eventually build a CrossFit-affiliated network of specialists. The service is not covered by insurance, but its approximate $100 monthly subscription fee is eligible for Health Savings Account coverage.  

At the time of launch, CrossFit Precision Care will roll out in California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee and Texas due to physician licensure requirements.  

"We’re working hard to expand licensing for our physicians as well as hire physicians licensed in all 50 states!" reads the CPC website.  

THE LARGER TREND  

CrossFit, whose founding CEO stepped down in 2020, has faced controversies over the years over the risk of injuries from its workouts, and has been criticized for its response to Black Lives Matter protests.

Although its specific offerings (and its fitness-company background) may be unique in the primary care space, its framework is strikingly similar to other direct-to-consumer telemedicine brands that have cropped up over the past year.

Amazon Care is one such figure. After signaling its plans to expand from an employee-only, Seattle-only service, Amazon said it would begin rolling out telemedicine offerings to all 50 states this summer – and may soon be providing in-person options in multiple cities.  

But some experts caution that a massive shift to telemedicine for primary care may exacerbate healthcare disparities, particularly for people who already face hurdles to accessing services. Other studies have found that direct-to-consumer telehealth services may not lead to cost savings down the line.  

ON THE RECORD  

"Combining our cutting-edge precision medicine approach with the transformational training taking place in CrossFit affiliates will allow us to redefine primary care," said Dr. Julie Foucher, cofounder of CrossFit Precision Care, in a statement.  

"Instead of leaving patients to their own devices and waiting to detect disease after it's happened, we'll welcome them into a supportive community and empower them to optimize their health in a data-driven way," Foucher said.

Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Twitter: @kjercich
Email: kjercich@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.