Dr. Lucas said out-of-pocket costs create a “meaningful access concern for patients.” He added that the primary motivation for starting the program was not revenue.
That may be true, but academic medical centers are also businesses concerned with revenue and operational costs. “Some of this is a response to market forces,” said Leigh Turner, a professor and director of the Center for Health Ethics at University of California, Irvine. “They might not have a huge customer base right out of the gate, but I think they are making the investment now because they see the long-term growth potential.”
He added that the longevity medicine category includes a wide variety of services and screenings, some of which have a robust evidence base, like those addressing diet and exercise. “But with some of the other tests, the evidence base gets thinner,” he said. “I think a lot of this belongs in the clinical trial space.”
This is largely the way Cedars-Sinai Healthspan Clinic, which opened in Los Angeles in September 2025, operates. The clinic provides a comprehensive evaluation of physical function, bone health, blood sugar and blood screenings, all of which are covered by insurance. Patients can opt for other assessments — which are not covered — by participating in research trials.
They also spend time with Dr. Sara E. Espinoza, an internist in geriatric medicine and the clinic’s medical director. “We talk about things a primary care doctor doesn’t always have time to discuss, like sleep, depression, diet, physical activity and social engagement,” she said. If a patient has a clinically warranted need for a test, they are referred to a specialist.
“It’s a shift in mind-set, pulling this type of care into academic medical centers and dovetailing it with research,” Dr. Espinoza said. “Our whole mission is to identify and translate interventions that promote the extension of a healthy life span. We don’t want that to be available only to the wealthy.”
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