Key Takeaways
- Seasteads are viewed as potential hubs for health care innovation and medical tourism.
- Montana is establishing itself as a center for experimental medicine through expanded access to unproven treatments.
- Ongoing discussions about creating ‘freedom cities’ focus on regulatory advantages for longevity biotech and other industries.
Future of Health Care at Sea
In a 2009 presentation at a Seasteading Institute conference, economist Patrick O’Neill proposed that the healthiest societies by 2030 could emerge on the sea. He emphasized the advantages of a free-market health care system, envisioning seasteads as centers for improved health care and medical tourism, calling them “the last best hope for freedom.”
Some proponents in the longevity community aim to establish a network state within the U.S., with Montana emerging as a focus area. A4LI’s spokesperson, Livingston, highlighted his lobbying successes in expanding ‘Right to Try’ laws that allow individuals, not just the terminally ill, to access unproven treatments following initial safety trials.
Livingston stated, “We’re doing a freedom city in Montana without calling it a freedom city,” indicating the state’s movement towards less restrictive access to experimental medicine. In tandem, Patri Friedman, the libertarian founder of the Seasteading Institute and close associate of O’Neill, described the concept of ‘freedom cities’ as platforms for developing specific industry clusters on federal land while seeking favorable regulations to enhance their viability.
Discussions about a dedicated freedom city for longevity biotech are reportedly underway but remain in their infancy. Friedman expressed uncertainty about the required regulatory changes but confirmed ongoing research and community mobilization for this initiative.
Support for these developments appears to be building. Some libertarians and longevity advocates believe the current political climate, particularly under President Trump’s administration, may provide an opportunity for creating new economic zones. In Trump’s 2023 campaign, he suggested the idea of launching contests to establish new cities, aimed at revitalizing American land and fostering homeownership, although specifics on governance were not extensively detailed.
These evolving discussions and initiatives reflect a growing ambition among certain groups to create experimental environments for innovation in health care and other sectors, potentially reshaping how communities might flourish in the near future.
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