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The Hollow Men of Hims

(www.alexkesin.com)
204 points quadrin | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.521s | source
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LordDragonfang ◴[] No.44383000[source]
This buried lede is really the core of the article:

> They make these choices not because the products are better, but because the entire experience has been optimized to feel more like shopping and less like confronting the mortality and vulnerability that define the human condition. This is what disruption looks like when applied to the oldest human needs: not improvement, but the illusion of improvement

And contrary to what the article claims with hundreds of words of flowery indictment, it is improvement. As everyone on this site should be able to tell you, UX matters, and the medical establishment has some of the most frustrating, unpleasant, and confusing UX of any necessary service.

Of course shady companies are going to get lots of business when all the competition following the law most faithfully provide a broken UX, and the only way to do otherwise is to bend the rules.

replies(2): >>44383173 #>>44383250 #
1. jitl ◴[] No.44383173[source]
OneMedical (now owned by Amazon) provides a version of this that also connects you with a general practitioner doctor who you're able to see in your area. They additionally have telehealth-style prescription requests in the app, but you end up with the FDA approved version coming from Amazon pharmacy for $5/month (on top of the $200/year for OneMedical), or for $cheap at your regular pharmacy. A++ would recommend.

However, when I get referrals from OneMedical to specialists like eg sleep apnea, those 3rd party specialists usually have like 8 month waiting lists. So, back to Hims-style online-only providers for that sort of thing.

replies(1): >>44383217 #
2. n8cpdx ◴[] No.44383217[source]
I also have one medical, (cheaper if you have Prime), but they don’t do ozempic/wegovy, so you’re still at the mercy of insurance, or paying out of pocket if you want GLP-1s.

They’re still a great option if you have other needs, like Prep or stimulants.