Early Detection With Affordable, Full-body MRIs
Let's get some fun disclaimers out of the way:
I am not affiliated with this company.
I do not receive any compensation for promotion.
I'm a happy customer of their $500 blood tests covering >150 biomarkers.
I'm likely to test this MRI service when it comes to my area.
No test is 100% accurate. Please do your own research.
With that addressed, let's start with a personal story.
Many of you may know that my sister-in-law died in 2024 after a decade-long battle with cancer. It was heartbreaking, to say the least. The doctors thought she beat it a second time, but then it came back with a vengeance. The third time wasn't the charm. It was lethal, and it ripped an irreparable hole in our lives.
The worst part? The doctors delayed a screening that would have detected that the cancer flared up elsewhere in the body. Unfortunately, by the time the scan results returned, her lungs were already covered with a constellation of dots. She then fought long, hard, and painfully for the next two months.
Hidden Health Issues Are Quite Common
I wish Elissa's story was unique or rare, but it's not.
Some studies have shown that up to 4% of cancer diagnoses occur incidentally when patients are getting tested for other things. Given some cancers may take years to develop, this percentage could be even higher if it was fast and affordable for people to get routine screens.
Worse, by the time someone comes explicitly to the doctor to test for cancer, they are usually far along and experiencing moderate to severe symptoms. This makes the chemo treatment longer and harder.
This is where Function Health's $500 MRIs could be a game changer.
Full-body MRI scans have been around for some time, but there were two hurdles:
* Insurance. If you went this route, you likely needed to go through multiple doctor visits (primary care and then specialist) and still could get denied by insurance.
* Cost. A full scan might cost you $10,000 or more at a major hospital if you tried to go direct. This was extremely cost-prohibitive.
A few companies figured out ways to drive the price down to $2,000 a scan, but that was still too far out of reach for most people.
But a comprehensive set of tests at $500? Now, that is getting into the realm of affordability. It's still expensive. However, the co-pay for most ER visits with insurance is $500, so the cost is both on par AND preventative.
You'll experience sticker shock if you upgrade to the more advanced packages (topping around $3,000). However, the cheapest option is still a tremendous bang for the buck. At the very least, if you have marble-sized cancer in you, it's almost certainly going to get found.
And it's not just cancer. These tests appear to cover/catch a variety of diseases and illnesses.
The worst case is you waste $500 and get the piece of mind that you have a clean bill of health.
The best case is you catch something earlier than you would have otherwise and have the best possible odds for success.
I've become a huge advocate for these tests as I've gotten older.
Last year, I spent $500 on the >100 biomarker blood test. The good news? My biological age is 4 years younger than my actual age! The other good news? I had been fighting with low energy for the past few years and couldn't find answers. 3 of my biomarkers were way out of range, all related to lower blood-oxygen absorption. Now, I have a clear path to address them with changes in diet and supplementation.
A few colleagues of mine have taken these tests and found areas where they were out of range. Armed with this knowledge, they can now do something about it (if there's anything to address).
Just think! In another 5 years, these MRIs may be as cheap and routine as a dental visit. This will go a long way in helping us all live longer and healthier.