You might have caught this provocative op-ed in the NYTimes suggesting we all skip our annual physical. The piece highlighted the exam's lack of impact on mortality, its large cost of often unnecessary follow-up testing and its drain on physicians' time as more Americans get health insurance.

We agree that an annual physical is not comprehensively effective as a preventative tool, but for slightly different reasons. Not all tests or conditions lead to ambiguous results or useless diagnostic odysseys. In a post-Ashley Madison, post-Tinder world, finding out whether you need a quick antibiotic to clear up an asymptomatic infection shouldn't wait 364 days until your next yearly checkup.

Also, we don't love the "collect 30 data points" once a year model for other reasons. You should establish your own personal baseline for blood counts, liver function, glucose levels and more. If we could capture these metrics on a monthly basis, you would have a more meaningful way to spot trends or deviations from "Your Personal Norm."

You might think what we're suggesting would add an even bigger burden to both insurers and physicians, effectively slowing the health system's ability to carry more people. But we're not recommending a move to monthly physical exams. We're suggesting we all innovate outside the doctor's office. If we could test for multiple health factors every month in the privacy of our homes, we could both increase the ROI of health tracking and clear out waiting rooms and our calendars. 

Want to learn more? Organize a local NextGen Jane meeting with your girlfriends and we'll join you to give you more details!

Below, our highlight of the month is India's Gulabi Gang ("Gang of Pink Ladies"). Observe, the power of women, coming together to crowdsource vigilante justice and protect each other when large institutions fail them. We can get behind that.