216. Ed Buckley, CEO of FitOn Health

Today I'm joined by Ed Buckley, CEO of FitOn Health, a wellness benefits platform for employers and health plans.

On a mission to bridge healthcare and fitness, Ed founded corporate wellness platform Peerfit in 2011 — connecting people with quality digital health content and in-person fitness classes. FitOn acquired Peerfit in 2022, launching FitOn Health and breaking into B2B.

In this episode, we discuss the company's approach to serving customers, employers, and health plans. Plus we cover the impact of weight loss drugs and a challenging fundraising market on the fitness industry.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How the Peerfit acquisition played into FitOn's strategy
• The benefits of vertically integrating with a well-resourced company
• Why Medicare reimbursement guidelines impact wellness trends and funding

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FitOn App: https://fitonapp.com/
FitOn Health Website: https://www.fitonhealth.com/
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:22) Ed's role as CEO of FitOn Health
(03:17) Decision to merge with FitOn
(08:21) Benefits of merging with FitOn
(10:08) B2B side has grown 100% in revenue in a year and a half
(13:15) Metrics FitOn optimizes for on the digital side
(16:08) FitOn's ability to produce customized content for health plans
(17:11) Collaboration with celebrities like Gabrielle Union and Giada De Laurentiis
(18:26) Constant innovation and execution as a selling point
(19:51) Wide variety of content categories on the platform
(22:59) Investment in condition management and nutrition services
(24:25) Focus on healthcare and outcome-based reimbursement
(27:09) Need to connect nutrition, exercise, and healthcare for incentives
(29:02) Trend of GLP-1 weight loss drugs impacting healthcare reimbursements
(30:15) Behavior change is the key for sustained health improvements
(32:54) Market leaders in adjacent categories may merge
(34:39) Funding in digital health has slowed down, leading to acquisitions
(38:19) The impact of Medicare funding on the healthcare industry
(38:40) Medicare's reduction in reimbursement levels
(40:15) YMCA and Medicare example
(45:40) Conclusion