As reported on TechCrunch, Google shut down its medical records and health data platform . Since then, there's been a lot of bits spilled offering explanations, but they all missed the most critical item. Money. Or in the language of healthcare - Reimbursement. I explain more below regarding why Google Health was doomed to fail in light of the legacy reimbursement model. First, let's recap some of the explanations offered up so far. These are all valid but miss the biggest point. Adam Bosworth, who originally ran Google Health gave one reason - It's Not Social . That's true if one wants to create a weight management program or is simply interested in fitness-minded folks. Clearly that is important given the obesity epidemic, however there's vast swaths of healthcare where being "social" isn't appropriate or applicable in a doctor-patient relationship. In other words, being social is necessary but not sufficient to transform healthcare.