Lessons from Hims & Hers: Key Success Factors in DTC Telehealth

Lessons from Hims & Hers: Key Success Factors in DTC Telehealth

Tags
Telehealth
Startups
Published
March 10, 2025
Author
Bask Health Team
Keywords
hims and hers telehealth model
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The Hims and Hers telehealth platform has turned the dreams of many digital health startups into reality. In just two years, the company doubled its customer base to 1.9 million subscribers and reached $872 million in sales.
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The company's growth substantially exceeds that of the traditional U.S. wellness market. Its subscriber base grew by 43%, while the industry typically sees only 5-10% yearly growth. The platform's success spans five core specialties: sexual health, mental health, hair care, skin care, and weight loss.
Let's get into the driving forces behind Hims & Hers' remarkable journey. Their subscription model, reliable technology, and marketing approaches have transformed direct-to-consumer healthcare delivery. These insights reveal how modern telehealth platforms can grow sustainably and retain customers.

Key Takeaways

  • Subscription Model: Hims & Hers’ flexible pricing and personalized options drive high retention (82% renewal rate).
  • AI-Driven Tech: MedMatch AI cuts wait times by 40%, significantly improving patient experience.
  • Stigma-Free Branding: Marketing sensitive health issues openly helped reach broader audiences.
  • Digital-First Marketing: Using social media, email, and SEO to boost patient engagement and acquisition.
  • Data-Driven Care: Advanced AI analytics enable personalized treatments and improve patient outcomes.
  • Rapid Expansion: Quickly diversified from niche provider to comprehensive healthcare services platform.
  • Customer Retention: Convenient automation and personalization kept 85% of customers subscribed long-term.
  • HIPAA-Compliant Tech: Robust security and encryption ensured patient data protection and built user trust.

The Evolution of the Hims & Hers Platform

Hims & Hers started in 2016 with a clear goal: to make healthcare available for conditions people often feel embarrassed about. The platform began by helping men with hair loss and sexual health treatments and quickly became a leader in telehealth services.

From niche service to healthcare giant

The company started by helping patients who weren't comfortable talking to their regular doctors about sensitive health issues. Patients could connect with licensed providers from home through asynchronous telehealth consultations and usually got responses within 24 hours. This new approach appealed to many people, which showed in the platform's rapid growth right from its first week.
The company built a reliable digital platform by spring 2020 that connected hundreds of providers with thousands of patients daily. Their services grew to include:
  • Primary care services (launched within days during the pandemic)
  • Mental health support (available in 44 states for psychiatry and 32 states for therapy)
  • Women's health solutions through the Hers brand
  • Tailored dermatology treatments
  • Weight management programs

Key milestones in company growth

The platform's development hit several important milestones. By late 2023, 30% of subscribers had picked tailored offerings, including new solutions like Heart Support and Hard Mints. In newer areas like Hers Dermatology, more than 75% of subscribers chose tailored treatments.
Technological advances played a big role, too. The company launched MedMatch in 2023, an AI-powered system that studies millions of anonymous data points from thousands of patient interactions to provide better care. This breakthrough cut customer wait times in the Weight Loss specialty by over 40%.
Hims & Hers now serves more than 2 million subscribers and has grown from a specialty provider into a complete healthcare platform. The company's revenue soared to nearly $1.5 billion in 2024, showing a 69% increase from the previous year.
The company keeps growing its reach and abilities. They now work in every state that allows asynchronous care and have started expanding internationally, beginning with the UK market. With expected revenues between $2.3 billion and $2.4 billion for 2025, Hims & Hers stays true to its goal of making high-quality, tailored healthcare available to more people.

Building a Successful Subscription Model

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The subscription-based revenue model is the lifeblood of Hims & Hers's remarkable success in the telehealth industry. The company generated USD 579.40 million in subscription revenue in 2023, which proves their customer-centric approach works well.
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Understanding customer lifetime value

The platform thrives because it truly understands customer lifetime value (LTV). Their subscription model boasts an impressive 82% retention rate after the original three-month period, which shows strong customer loyalty. Most users stay committed, with 85% keeping their subscriptions active for at least two years.

Pricing strategy and revenue streams

Hims & Hers uses a tiered pricing structure that makes their services both accessible and profitable:
  • Basic plans range from USD 20.00 to USD 40.00 monthly
  • Premium services cost between USD 50.00 and USD 75.00 per month
  • Specialized treatments, especially when you have weight management needs, show premium pricing potential with compounded GLP-1 medications at USD 165.00 monthly
This smart pricing approach helped generate about USD 200.00 million in compounded GLP-1 drug sales last year. The platform also processed 2.3 million prescriptions in 2023, and 68% of users benefit from automated refill systems.

Customer retention tactics

The company keeps customers happy through personalization and convenience. About 30% of customers chose personalized treatment options by the end of 2023, which shows strong participation in customized healthcare solutions. The platform achieves a 97.3% digital interaction rate, ensuring uninterrupted access to healthcare services.
Their excellent customer service shines through:
  • Average response time of 17 minutes
  • 88% customer satisfaction rate
  • Multi-channel support via chat, email, and phone
The automated refill system processes prescriptions in just 3.2 days, which keeps treatment plans running smoothly. This quick service, paired with personalized care options and responsive support, creates a compelling reason for subscribers to stay with the platform.

Technology Infrastructure That Drives Growth

Hims & Hers's quick growth comes from its advanced technology that delivers customized healthcare. The company's resilient infrastructure will give secure and reliable service through high-speed networks and specialized hardware.

AI-powered personalization system

MedMatch is the lifeblood of this infrastructure. This innovative AI system looks at millions of anonymized data points from patient interactions. The technology analyzes different factors like medical history, genetics, and disease symptoms to give tailored treatment recommendations. Results showed a 93% match rate in treatment recommendations.
MedMatch does more than simple diagnostics:
  • Treatment identification based on individual patient needs in real time
  • Better dosage strength and treatment formulations
  • Patient outcome analysis for continuous improvement
The platform's own Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system improves personalization by adding quality guidelines that enable detailed encounter reviews. Last year, over 50,000 encounter reviews made sure quality metrics were met.

Secure patient data management

Hims & Hers takes healthcare data protection seriously with multiple security layers:
The platform uses end-to-end encryption for all patient communications. Their security setup has:
  • Multi-factor authentication for access control
  • Regular system monitoring and updates
  • Strong firewalls and encryption protocols
The platform follows strict data storage and management rules to stay HIPAA compliant. They have detailed disaster recovery plans and backup protocols that protect data integrity. The system connects smoothly with other healthcare tools, which gives immediate access to detailed patient data.
Patient education is part of their steadfast dedication to data security. They provide guidelines for secure telehealth sessions and protect sensitive information. This integrated approach to technology and security has helped Hims & Hers process over 2.3 million prescriptions while keeping strict privacy standards.
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Marketing Strategies That Transformed Healthcare

Hims & Hers has altered the map of traditional healthcare marketing with groundbreaking strategies that have changed patient participation in the telehealth sector. Their methods show how digital healthcare platforms can connect with modern consumers who want convenient, tailored care options.

Digital-first approach

The company builds smooth patient experiences through multiple touchpoints with their digital-first strategy. Their platform handles over 2.3 million prescriptions each year, and patients can access care without visiting offices. This works well since 77% of patients look up information online before they schedule medical appointments.

Brand messaging and positioning

Hims & Hers stands out as a stigma-free healthcare solution that makes sensitive health discussions easier to approach. Their message highlights:
  • Care access through virtual consultations
  • Healthcare delivery at home
  • Tailored treatment plans from licensed physicians
This positioning appeals strongly to consumers. About 93 million Americans, roughly 80% of Internet users, search for health-related information online.

Customer acquisition channels

The platform runs a multi-channel strategy to acquire customers through:
  1. Search Engine Marketing: Healthcare websites get three times more visitors from search engines than from other sources. Then, 44% of patients who research hospitals on mobile devices book appointments.
  1. Social Media Engagement: Their social media presence shapes patient decisions by a lot. About 57% of consumers make healthcare choices based on providers' social media connections.
  1. Email Marketing: They send targeted email campaigns that educate and connect with patients. These tailored messages keep response rates high.
Their marketing wins come from understanding modern healthcare consumers who prefer online services for speed and convenience. These strategies help Hims & Hers tackle common healthcare access barriers through their telemedicine platform. Patients can now schedule consultations during work hours instead of traveling far to see specialists.

Conclusion

Hims & Hers shows what success looks like in telehealth innovation. This digital healthcare platform has grown remarkably while delivering quality care to patients. The company transformed from a specialized provider into a detailed healthcare platform and now generates $872 million in sales. Their patient-first approach proves its worth.
Three key elements drive the company's success. First, a subscription model keeps 82% of patients coming back. MedMatch provides AI-powered technology. Their stigma-free marketing strikes a chord with today's healthcare consumers. These elements create a smooth experience that keeps 85% of users active for two years or more.
The future looks bright as Hims & Hers redefines the limits of what's possible. Their revenue should reach $2.4 billion by 2025. Healthcare providers can learn a lot from their stories about improving their digital presence and patient care. The platform proves that success in digital healthcare comes from making care accessible, personal, and technologically advanced.
Bask Health understands these principles. Our detailed telehealth solutions help healthcare providers recreate these winning strategies and let them deliver exceptional patient care and grow their practices efficiently.

References

  1. Hims & Hers. Under the hood: How the Hims & Hers telehealth platforms enable quality care. Hims & Hers Blog. https://www.hims.com/blog/under-the-hood-how-the-hims-hers-telehealth-platforms-enable-quality-care. Accessed February 13, 2025.
  1. DCF Modeling. Hims business model canvas: Understanding the telehealth strategy. DCF Modeling. https://dcfmodeling.com/products/hims-business-model-canvas. Accessed February 13, 2025.
  1. Hims & Hers. Under the hood: How the Hims & Hers telehealth platforms enable quality care. Hims & Hers Blog. https://www.hims.com/blog/under-the-hood-how-the-hims-hers-telehealth-platforms-enable-quality-care. Accessed February 13, 2025.
  1. WebMD Ignite. The evolving role of digital marketing in healthcare. WebMD Ignite Blog. https://webmdignite.com/blog/evolving-role-digital-marketing-healthcare. Accessed February 13, 2025.
  1. MobiHealthNews. Exclusive Q&A: Hims & Hers on its proprietary EMR and new AI-enabled MedMatch. MobiHealthNews. https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/exclusive-qa-hims-hers-its-proprietary-emr-and-new-ai-enabled-medmatch. Accessed February 13, 2025.
  1. MobiHealthNews. Exclusive Q&A: Hims & Hers on its proprietary EMR and new AI-enabled MedMatch. MobiHealthNews. https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/exclusive-qa-hims-hers-its-proprietary-emr-and-new-ai-enabled-medmatch. Accessed February 13, 2025.