Dear Lovely Human,

This August, I’m diving into something that’s been on my mind for a while now: Universal Basic Income.

Not because it’s trending. But because I truly believe it’s going to affect every one of us—especially as AI begins to operate at levels we can’t match, at speeds we can’t keep up with.

It’s not a futuristic concept anymore. It’s a necessary conversation. One that touches how we live, earn, age, and stay relevant in a world that’s changing faster than we are ready for.

What if you got paid to stay healthy?
Not penalized for getting sick—but actually rewarded for staying well?

Imagine this: 

Instead of dreading your annual health insurance premium, you look forward to a payout—because walking 10,000 steps a day, keeping your stress levels low, and sleeping seven hours a night contributes not just to your well-being… but also to your income.

Welcome to the concept of Universal Basic Healthy Life—a bold reimagining of Universal Basic Income (UBI), where staying healthy is your job, and insurance companies invest in your longevity.

Why? Because every year you stay out of the hospital, keep learning, mentor others, and stay active… they save money.
What if they shared those savings with you?

We're entering an era where the economics of prevention are finally catching up with the science. Apple Watches and Oura Rings are just the beginning.

So what’s next?

1. A decentralized wallet- tracking your physical, social, mental, emotional and financial wealth

2. A “longevity score” that unlocks real income monthly.

A Real-World Touchpoint: GetSetUp & Medicaid

I mentored a decade back a co-founder of GetSetUp, a peer-led learning platform for older adults. They deliver live classes on fitness, nutrition, mental wellness, digital literacy—often funded through Medicaid managed-care organizations, state DHHS, or agencies on aging.

Rather than giving token perks, GetSetUp provides hundreds of thousands of free wellness and social engagement classes to older adults, reducing social isolation and supporting preventive health outcomes .

This is Medicaid actually paying for proactive wellness support—not just reactive care. Imagine scaling that model: insurers funding ongoing health engagement to keep their members healthy... and sharing the savings.

The Existing Model is Weak and Fragmented…

If you look at these other real-world examples:

• UnitedHealthcare Rewards: up to $1,000/year for healthy behaviors tracked via wearable.

• Aetna’s Attain Program with Apple: incentives for hitting activity and nutrition goals.

• Wellness incentives in ACA Plans: from screenings to gym check-ins.

You will notice these are very breadcrumb versions of a bigger idea. What I am imagining is Universal Basic Life that says “If my life is saving you money, I should be earning from it”

Universal Basic Life isn’t an aging solution. It’s a Future of Work Solution for us all

We’re watching a generation of young people drowning in:

• Anxiety and depression

• ADHD and executive dysfunction

• Burnout before age 30

• A collapsing trust in their ability to find jobs

• Limited access to therapy, tools, or even community

The “future of work” conversation often misses that the next-gen workforce is struggling just to function.

“What if staying well- mentally, emotionally, socially- was financially rewarded by insurers?”

Universal Basic Life means a 25-year-old with high-functioning anxiety might earn a dividend for consistently managing their mental health through peer groups, meditation, fitness, or counseling.

It’s not about “fixing people”—it’s about recognizing and rewarding maintenance, the hardest and most invisible work of all.

The Future of Work in an AI Driven World Might be a Better One Working on Yourself?

Imagine a world where:

• A gig worker earns health income by sleeping 7 hours and logging healthy meals.

• A teenager receives universal access to mental health tools and earns rewards for building coping strategies.

• A new parent receives basic life credits for maintaining wellness postpartum—not just a bill for the pediatrician.

Combine Medicaid-style funding like GetSetUp, wearable data tracking, and value-based insurance savings—and we could build an economic model that turns human flourishing into a shared investment.

Not just for the elderly.
Not just for the sick.
But for every generation trying to stay human, alive and thrive in a chaotic world.

I will end on this note…

Insurance companies aren’t incentivized to make you radically healthy—because if they did, you’d stop needing them. They’d rather keep you just well enough to keep paying premiums… even if you’re walking around burned out, disconnected, and one crisis away from collapse.

UnitedHealth alone rakes in $22 billion a year. And yet most of us get a wellness email and a free yoga app. We deserve more. You deserve more.

This weighs on me—not just because I care about our community, but because I see what’s happening on a global scale. I’ve had many countries involve GLEAC to upskill their citizens in AI.

And in my head, I’m thinking: To what end?

How do you have your citizens compete with an AI agent that never sleeps?

The truth is, you don’t.
You out-human it.
You stay healthy. You stay wise. You mentor. You create. You connect.
That’s where our value lies.
That’s what needs to be funded, protected, and rewarded.

Because if we’re serious about keeping people—and countries—thriving, we need to stop chasing productivity… and start investing in something different as human infrastructure.

This has been on my mind a lot lately. For me. For you. For all of us trying to stay human in a world that’s forgetting how.

Warmly,
Sal