The Covid-19 pandemic sparked a very necessary debate about the healthcare system in America and effectively showcased all the areas in which it is lacking. While some like to blame the pandemic itself for the fall of the healthcare system, the cracks have been in the foundation for years.

When one takes into consideration how advanced the United States is in many aspects, then looks at other countries of similar size and ability, it becomes glaringly apparent that something is significantly wrong with the way this country views and treats those who inhabit it.

Canada has a national health insurance model, which is a universal coverage plan that doesn’t generate profit, turn away claims, or turn away patients based on income bracket. The United Kingdom uses a Beveridge healthcare model, which provides a national health service that is funded through income taxes, resulting in citizens being able to go to the doctor for free because they have essentially already paid for the care.

Citizens of these countries may, and likely do, have their own issues with their country’s healthcare systems, but the models being utilized there appear to be centered on the health and well-being of the individuals using the service, while the system we use in the U.S. is a melting pot of different ideas and regulations that result in a system that is expensive, inefficient, and often detrimentally biased.

This country needs something new, something without overworked providers undervaluing those in their care. While one person or one organization can’t turn the industry upside down, there are those that can rebel, speak out, and advocate for change. One such person is CEO Mike Tinney of FIX Health, which provides the leading gamified step challenge app, A Step Ahead. He shared with us his radically-sensible ideas and insights on the healthcare system and ways in which he thinks it can be bettered.

Rebels with a Cause

Founded on the belief that all aspects of life are enhanced by a healthy lifestyle, FIX Health develops high quality, interactive games that promote health and daily activity in a fun, socially connected environment. They have touched over 20 thousand lives with their intense (think zombies, pirates, and aliens, oh my!) game-based walking challenges.

Tinney candidly told us, “I want to — metaphorically — light the discussion around America’s healthcare system ablaze. I think it is broken. And that is kind of where this idea stemmed from. We know that video games have mastered human engagement. Our main differentiator, what sets us apart from others, is how we use the games and our app to engage those who participate. Companies try to get their staff engaged, but they are offering frosting on a very plain cake, not a game that can be engaging or addictive. We know games, and we used what we know to create interactive apps that motivate others to get healthy.”

Tinney is a firm believer that the healthcare system is faulty and falling short, but he also knows that he cannot simply ‘FIX’ what is broken. Instead, he has taken up the charge for advocacy.

“We are a little band of rebels that believes things could be done differently. We are advocates for change, but we aren’t trying to change the industry or turn it on its head. A Step Ahead just aims to open the door. We are a destination for employers and customers who also believe that the healthcare system is broken, and we have a lot of customers that are like-minded in this regard,” he said.

As more crises hit the healthcare system, more and more individuals have found themselves coming to the realization that something needs to be done. While dismantling the system and building anew is unlikely to occur anytime soon, or maybe ever, uncovering what lies at the heart of the problem is the first step towards any potential change.

Preventing Rather Than Responding

Tinney explained that he believes the real problem with the healthcare system comes down to a lack of protocols in place for preventing health issues, diseases, or unhealthy habits, and this is in large part because of the overly involved role that insurance companies play in the health industry.

“Frankly,” Tinney remarked, “The health industry shouldn’t be called ‘industry’ at all. It is a basic human right.”

He went on to explain that insurance companies are institutions aligned around the American healthcare system, which is a problem-response structured system.

“There is no ROI on prevention for an insurance company, they get paid when they administer care treatment into the system,” Tinney said. “That is how they make a profit, and it works for them, so naturally the market doesn’t want to be fixed. Put simply, insurance companies are not incentivized to keep people healthy, they are merely around to respond to a problem and then mitigate it.”

As he points out, The Affordable Care Act tried to put into place some of these needed prevention protocols and build that into the system, but in his experience, and that of countless other Americans, it didn’t actually do that. So what can be done if the proposed solution to the problem created more issues instead? For starters, Tinney believes that the USA needs to switch the focus from ‘responding’ to ‘preventing.’

“Medicare for all is a polarizing framework in itself,” he said. “But if you treat healthcare as a right, not a privilege, then you can go down the path of a set of protocols and best practices that are focused around maintaining a patient’s health and well-being, as opposed to what is being done, which is just responding to a patient’s health and well-being.

Ultimately, Tinney and other like-minded individuals believe that if our society’s thinking around health and wellness changes, our healthcare system could change its focus, and that would be a great first step. When it comes to problems such as this, on a scale this large, that first step is really the only one we can take.

Tinney invites us to think hard about our personal health, because as it stands, we are the only ones who can take responsibility for it. His primary message to us all? Don’t just sit there!

About Mike Tinney

Mike Tinney is the Founder and CEO of FIX Health, which powers A Step Ahead, a wellness app that leverages technology and the expertise of FIX Health’s team of health professionals to help individuals take control of their health and wellness. Under Tinney’s leadership, FIX Health has become a trusted partner for SMBs seeking to provide cost-efficient and fun ways for their teams to stay healthy. To join in the fun, please visit: https://astepaheadchallenge.com/challenges/