Longevity clinic
Forward (Discontinued 2024)
Last updated Sat May 30 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
What it was
Forward operated a membership-based primary-care chain blending standard visits with proprietary biometric body scanners, AI-assisted decision support, genetic testing, and 24/7 physician chat. Members paid ~$149/ month flat fee covering most visits and tests.
At its peak it had ~30 US locations and ~250,000 members.
What happened
Forward announced abrupt closure of all clinics in November 2024, citing failure to scale a sustainable business model. Members were given short notice to retrieve records and find new primary-care relationships.
Why it’s worth covering
- A cautionary tale about consumer-medicine scaling: technology-enabled primary care faced the same unit-economics problems as conventional primary care.
- Highlights the importance of continuity of care — sudden clinic closure left members scrambling.
- Demonstrates that "biometric body scanner" branding doesn’t reliably add clinical value beyond standard panels.
Lessons for choosing similar services
- How would the provider exit if business model fails?
- Where will your records go?
- Is the service primarily a UX wrapper around a standard panel?
- What’s the burn rate / runway picture?