Why America’s Health Crisis Is an Incentive Problem

a16z general partner Erik Torenberg speaks with Justin Mares, founder and CEO of Truemed. They discuss why American health outcomes are so poor compared to the rest of the developed world, how crop subsidies created a food system that "systematically outputs unhealthy people," and what it would take to treat the chronic disease crisis as a national security issue. Mares explains how TrueMed allows people to spend tax-free HSA and FSA dollars on lifestyle interventions like gym memberships, sleep aids, and healthier food—and why he believes this could redirect hundreds of billions of dollars toward prevention. They also explore the case for psychedelics as mental health therapy and why peptides could disrupt the pharmaceutical industry.

Resources:

Follow Justin Mares on X: https://x.com/jwmares

Follow TrueMed on X: https://x.com/truemed

Timestamps:

00:00 — Introduction

0:44 — The Environment That Makes Us Sick

04:19 — What Went Wrong in the 1970s

6:10 — The Subsidy Problem

8:49 — Universal Ozempic Won't Save Us

12:21 — Building Truemed

15:59 — The Zoo Animal Theory of Human Health

18:33 — The Chronic Disease Crisis as National Security

27:52 — Psychedelics as Mental Health Therapy

35:49 — Why Peptides Will Disrupt Pharma

35:27 — Why Peptides Will Disrupt Pharma

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

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Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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