The CDC lists five broad but interconnected categories of health determinants: genetics, behavior, environmental and physical influences, medical care, and social factors. Individuals, communities, and politicians may be able to chip away at some of them but meanwhile, many in the U.S. are casualties of inequities in health. 

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services defines health equity as the “attainment of the highest level of health for all people.”

We know that is not occurring in the U.S. today. What is occurring is increased spending on health amid rising health care costs. And, more health care facilities operate within a for-profit model, which increases revenue for them and for insurance companies – but denies or outright excludes a swath of human beings in communities who need access to high-quality and affordable health care. 

The G Medical Innovations solution

Dr. Yacov Geva, President & CEO of G Medical Innovations, is on a mission to change inequities in the current U.S. healthcare system with one simple solution: Bring more of that care home. 

“COVID started the trend to more in-home health solutions, such as with telemedicine, and now companies should build on that with innovation to expand services,” said Dr. Geva. “G Medical Innovations is doing that by going directly to the consumer, and giving them what they need in the privacy of their own homes, but with unprecedented customer service that is also affordable.” 

The company has been in the home health monitoring business for decades and has built on that experience by developing a series of home health test kits that provide lab-derived results in as little as 24 hours, but at a fraction of the cost of what a patient would pay at the doctor’s office. 

“Doctors send the samples to a lab for testing, which could cost as much as $1,000,” said Dr. Yacov. “With our tests, patients can buy them at Costco, Target and Walgreen’s starting at $50, and that includes both the test and the lab work. And instead of waiting one or two weeks, they’ll get results in 24 hours or at most, a day or two.”

The tests, which have begun to hit the market, include those for HPV, COVID19, monkeypox, HbA1C (hemoglobin), testosterone levels, sexually transmitted diseases, and a variety of food sensitivities and allergies. Currently the company has plans to put 28 different tests directly into consumers’ hands through popular retail outlets. 

“This is not an insurance company business”

Some insurance companies may cover the costs of some tests, Dr. Geva notes, but because of the price point, the inequities that exist for uninsured or under-insured patients are removed. 

“It’s an affordable cash-based model,” noted Dr. Geva. “We are not an insurance company business.” 

It also frees up time for health care providers. If a patient test result requires additional care, that care can begin immediately instead of waiting weeks for a test result, and with one less in-patient office visit. Physicians and consumers alike can feel confident in the test quality because everything contained in each test kit is FDA-approved, using G Medical’s own labs or carefully selected lab partnerships. 

The G Medical test kits can also lead to increased testing, which means healthier communities. An important example of this is with sexually transmitted diseases.

“People who suspect they have an STD may be ashamed to go to the doctor to be tested, which not only results in lack of proper care but can also increase transmission,” said Dr. Geva. 

The future of health care

Dr. Geva and G Medical Innovations are not alone in their home health care predictions – but they are ahead of the game in expanding into vertical markets in the space. The company has also developed an innovative smart phone case, Prizma, that monitors and tracks vital signs and shares them directly with the patient’s doctor. This rapid reporting model can be a game-changer for those with cardiovascular issues. The next-generation Prizma will have even greater capabilities. 

A healthy community is only possible with increased – and equitable – access to high-quality care. G Medical Innovations is removing obstacles to health care inequities – whether politics, insurance, or socioeconomics – to bring health care home.