'I tried the health scan with a 100k waitlist – here's why it's worth the £299 price tag'
I'm standing naked in a floodlit tube. The cylindrical doors surrounding me are alternating between spinning and stopping, and when they do whizz open, I'm greeted by a nurse and – blessedly – a dressing gown. I'm here for a health scan, but I feel like I'm in an episode of Black Mirror.
Created by the co-founder of Spotify, the Neko body scan wants to disrupt the health industry in the same way the streaming platform did for music. The brand's prevention-first ethos piqued my interest when an invitation landed in my inbox - and I'm not the only one. The waitlist to have the £299 scan is 100k people strong. So what exactly are they waiting for?
Listing the myriad biomarkers the scan measures would gobble up my word count, but the data derived from the hour-long scan – 30 minutes of tests, the other 30 interpreting the results – is eye-watering; the floodlit tube alone will capture 2154 photos of my skin as a means of testing for skin cancer.
Like most of Neko's data-curious clients, I'm symptom-free. But despite training regularly, counting my plant points and tracking my sleep and cycle, I know that how well I feel only tells me so much – something confirmed to me in my twenties when I was diagnosed with osteopenia (loss of bone density that can be a precursor to osteoporosis).
And so to a basement in London's Marylebone where – amid interiors that wouldn't look out of place on a spaceship – vials of my blood are taken. My blood vessels are mapped via a non-invasive laser on my wrist, I have an ECG and my grip strength and eye pressure are tested. Results are presented to me by a doctor via a series of digestible diagrams – like a Spotify Wrapped for health; one that's helped 14% of clients seek medical support and 1% receive a potentially life-saving intervention.
My results (which also land in my inbox within minutes of leaving) are reassuring. My risk of diabetes, skin cancer, immune system disorders, cardiovascular disease and more are minimal. My heart age is six years younger than my actual age. That my data is only benchmarked against that of the first 10k people who had the scan makes my score particularly good, given we're a health-conscious cohort.
But the data doesn't tell you everything. I'm surprised to see BMI – a metric some argue is an unreliable indicator of health as it hinges on weight as opposed to body-fat percentage or muscle mass.
A hormone profile isn't taken from my bloods – explainable by the fact that Neko is focusing on 'non-invasive, scalable and cost-effective health assessments that deliver actionable results within an hour, says lead GP Sam Rodgers, with the caveat that it's 'continuously looking to add features to deliver even greater value and insights'.
Then there's the fact that the £299 scan will be unaffordable for most. And yet: 'The better-informed people are about their bodies, the less pressure there is on the healthcare system - particularly when social media is contributing to health anxiety,' health psychologist Dr Sula Windgassen tells me, when I ask for her take on the rise of private scans. This only applies, of course, if you're supported in interpreting the results, hence Neko's 50/50 time-slot approach. Is it the most fun you can have with no clothes on? No, but it might just be the healthiest.
Join the waitlist at nekohealth.com.
You Might Also Like
13 Buys To Help You Feel Great From £5
16 Speedo Swimsuits that Won't Flash Your Bum When Getting Swim-fit
11 Best Gym Trainers for Different Types of Workouts
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Journals
20 hours ago
- Business Journals
Tackling a wicked problem: How Cincinnati leaders changed the odds for hundreds of babies
Never miss an episode of Getting Health Care Right. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. In the latest episode of Getting Health Care Right, a podcast brought to you by TriHealth and the Cincinnati Business Courier, Jill Miller, president and CEO of bi3, is joined by Dr. Meredith Smith, executive director of Cradle Cincinnati. The two recently co-wrote a book called 'Infant Mortality and Other Wicked Problems,' which details how Cincinnati organizations joined forces to tackle the city's high infant mortality rate. 'I don't think everybody knows that a community's infant mortality rate is the key indicator of the overall health of the community, and that is something that corporations and businesses should consider as they try to attract and build a workforce and attract new people to come here,' Miller said. Listen to the episode to hear more about:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
'I tried the health scan with a 100k waitlist – here's why it's worth the £299 price tag'
I'm standing naked in a floodlit tube. The cylindrical doors surrounding me are alternating between spinning and stopping, and when they do whizz open, I'm greeted by a nurse and – blessedly – a dressing gown. I'm here for a health scan, but I feel like I'm in an episode of Black Mirror. Created by the co-founder of Spotify, the Neko body scan wants to disrupt the health industry in the same way the streaming platform did for music. The brand's prevention-first ethos piqued my interest when an invitation landed in my inbox - and I'm not the only one. The waitlist to have the £299 scan is 100k people strong. So what exactly are they waiting for? Listing the myriad biomarkers the scan measures would gobble up my word count, but the data derived from the hour-long scan – 30 minutes of tests, the other 30 interpreting the results – is eye-watering; the floodlit tube alone will capture 2154 photos of my skin as a means of testing for skin cancer. Like most of Neko's data-curious clients, I'm symptom-free. But despite training regularly, counting my plant points and tracking my sleep and cycle, I know that how well I feel only tells me so much – something confirmed to me in my twenties when I was diagnosed with osteopenia (loss of bone density that can be a precursor to osteoporosis). And so to a basement in London's Marylebone where – amid interiors that wouldn't look out of place on a spaceship – vials of my blood are taken. My blood vessels are mapped via a non-invasive laser on my wrist, I have an ECG and my grip strength and eye pressure are tested. Results are presented to me by a doctor via a series of digestible diagrams – like a Spotify Wrapped for health; one that's helped 14% of clients seek medical support and 1% receive a potentially life-saving intervention. My results (which also land in my inbox within minutes of leaving) are reassuring. My risk of diabetes, skin cancer, immune system disorders, cardiovascular disease and more are minimal. My heart age is six years younger than my actual age. That my data is only benchmarked against that of the first 10k people who had the scan makes my score particularly good, given we're a health-conscious cohort. But the data doesn't tell you everything. I'm surprised to see BMI – a metric some argue is an unreliable indicator of health as it hinges on weight as opposed to body-fat percentage or muscle mass. A hormone profile isn't taken from my bloods – explainable by the fact that Neko is focusing on 'non-invasive, scalable and cost-effective health assessments that deliver actionable results within an hour, says lead GP Sam Rodgers, with the caveat that it's 'continuously looking to add features to deliver even greater value and insights'. Then there's the fact that the £299 scan will be unaffordable for most. And yet: 'The better-informed people are about their bodies, the less pressure there is on the healthcare system - particularly when social media is contributing to health anxiety,' health psychologist Dr Sula Windgassen tells me, when I ask for her take on the rise of private scans. This only applies, of course, if you're supported in interpreting the results, hence Neko's 50/50 time-slot approach. Is it the most fun you can have with no clothes on? No, but it might just be the healthiest. Join the waitlist at You Might Also Like 13 Buys To Help You Feel Great From £5 16 Speedo Swimsuits that Won't Flash Your Bum When Getting Swim-fit 11 Best Gym Trainers for Different Types of Workouts
Business Journals
10-06-2025
- Business Journals
Trump's drug order and the future of employer health care (Holmes Murphy podcast)
Never miss an episode of Healthy Politics. Subscribe now on Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Both the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are working to shake up the status quo when it comes to health care costs. In this episode of the Healthy Politics podcast, Holmes Murphy Compliance Director Nick Karls and Senior Advisor Den Bishop discuss President Donald Trump's recent executive order aimed at lowering U.S. drug prices along with several proposals included in The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA) that could change employers' health care costs. 'I'm spending a lot of time right now talking to our clients about ways to control their pharmacy spend, and they can get to be pretty difficult conversations,' Karls said. 'You're making some tough choices.' Tune in to this episode to hear about: The executive order on brand name prescription drug pricing Proposed work requirements for Medicaid Proposed changes to Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements Political movements to shift away from employer-sponsored health care New HSA provisions in The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act 'All of these are things that I think are on point and consistent with what President Trump did in his first term,' Bishop said. '… They're pretty aggressively going at the existing system and trying to figure out how to lower cost.' Sign up today to receive updates on each new release and stay ahead with expert analysis and commentary. As one of the largest independent insurance brokerages in the nation, Holmes Murphy believes fully in serving the unique risk and benefits challenges of clients in every industry and of almost every size. For more information, visit or follow the company on X (@holmesmurphyins), Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
