“Just a few weeks after Apple, Inc. pointed out at its September event that it is now the second-largest watchmaker in the watch industry (as measured by revenue), the company has just scored another major victory with Apple Watch,” Evan Niu writes for The Motley Fool.
“Insurance giant Aetna has announced a new program that aims to improve people’s health through Apple Watches, as well as iPhones and iPads. The company will help subsidize a ‘significant portion’ of Apple Watches at a handful of large employers and for some individual customers,” Niu writes. “The remainder of the cost will come right out of payroll deductions for added convenience. Perhaps more exciting is that Aetna will also cover the full cost of a new Apple Watch to its almost 50,000 employees if they participate in Aetna’s wellness reimbursement program. Apple will also help Aetna develop some exclusive health-oriented apps for iOS and watchOS.”
Niu writes, “Aetna may be one of Apple’s first big enterprise wins, but it probably won’t be the last.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s tough to overstate how important this deal is for Apple Watch.
SEE ALSO:
In major win for Apple, Aetna becomes first insurance company to subsidize Apple Watch – September 27, 2016
New ‘SweatCoin’ iPhone app pays people to get fit – May 5, 2016
Why you’ll wear an Apple Watch to keep your job – March 14, 2016
Share your fitness data for an Apple Watch – or cash – March 2, 2016
Tim Cook hints Apple might build a health device – November 10, 2015
Apple should double down on Apple Watch’s health sensors, battery life, and waterproofing – October 2, 2015
Health insurer will charge more for lazy people, less for active people, based on Apple Watch sensors – September 18, 2015
WHAT A FLOP!
Joe? Hey JOE!? You there? Ive got a message for you. Read between the lines .!.. you HACK.
Joe?
Why was Blackberry not considered? Oh!, thats RIGHT! the don’t make watches of any kind. Nor will they continue to produce mobile hardware of any kind. Thank The Lord Above! THANK YOU! & Good RIDDANCE.
So if Aetna buys you the watch, I guess your heart rate data is their property. And they can raise your rates as they wish based on that data.
“…I guess your heart rate data is their property. And they can raise your rates as they wish based on that data…”
All health data is relevant to your policy. If you state you exercise to lower your premium, but your heart rate never goes above 70.. well, that might be something they could and should question. If this gets more people to exercise, and become healthier – I have no problem with that.
I wonder how this initiative will work with people that already own Apple Watches. Will they lower premiums to offset what they would have ‘paid’ for giving you an Apple Watch plus getting access to your health data? After the period where premiums would have paid for subsidizing the Apple Watch will the insurance companies consider reducing premiums or paying continued users? Otherwise this seems like a repeat of subsidized phone plans which don’t lower fees after the contract period.
Is there a monthly contract for the Apple Watch? I didn’t think so.
My mistake for not separating from the 3rd sentence into a new paragraph and perhaps confusing you. I intended that to mean that for those Apple watches that ARE subsidized, will the insurance company keep premiums the same or somehow recompense the employee/employer for access to your health information to match what a person coming into the initiative with their own Apple Watch would be paying or being recompensed for.
If you don’t buy the watch your rates will be high.
If you buy the watch your rates CAN be lowered.
Simple.
May not be as simple as that. By singling out Apple Watch as the only choice they may run into lawsuits for ‘forcing’ users to use exclusively Apple Watch or face higher premiums.
That’s SO awesome… Being “subsidized” is part of how iPhone became so big during its early years, and now Apple Watch has a totally different way (that I did not imagine) for greatly expanded sales through subsidy. Health insurance is even more “universal” than the need for a mobile phone, and over time, the “Apple Watch subsidy” will be offered by all major health insurance providers.
To avoid any lawsuits I would lean towards insurance companies subsidizing ‘approved’ health monitoring wearables of which Apple Watch will be the first but not the only choice.
It appears that Fitbit has a similar ‘win’ with Kaiser Permanente now. I just got a letter from Kaiser for my workplace (I handle the HR duties for my branch) and it appears that they will provide each employee with a free Fitbit Flex ($99.95 value according to the enclosed flyer) for participating in a workforce wellness program. This is with no additional cost to the company and employees.