Aetna and Apple held secret meetings last week with top executives to talk about bringing the Apple Watch to Aetna’s 23 million members. Aetna already offers an Apple Watch to its 50,000 employees as part of their wellness program. They now wish to expand that offer to the rest of their members at a significantly lower cost or subsidized in exchange for their diet and health information. If users of the Apple Watch agree to release this information, Aetna could utilize the data to gain insight into member activities and lifestyle.
Aetna has pushed this partly due to their recent initiatives geared towards increasing customer interests of diet monitoring and smart lifestyle choices. The Apple Watch will help monitor those whose conditions need attention. It will also help those who are looking to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Aetna’s wellness program for employees is already several years strong. There is some experience and data with how well the program is being used now. It was enough to influence expanding the device to members of Aetna.
What can you do with the Apple Watch?
About a year ago, an Aetna spokesperson told Ars that the company would be developing apps specifically for Aetna on IOS. Consumers will be able to utilize them on the Apple Watch. These apps would be more medical focused than most apps in the store. It would include perks, such as reminders for taking prescription medications and when refills are due. There’s also on-boarding guides to help users get the most out of their insurance benefits. They can even check their deductibles and pay bills. The user could also personalize the app to their liking. Aetna and Apple have also hired biotechnical engineers to help them implement apps that will monitor blood sugar. This could be a great tool for a person who is diabetic and needs to monitor their blood glucose levels.
It has not been specified on what model of the Apple Watch they will be sending to consumers. The rumor is that it’ll be their brand-new model, Series 3. It includes standalone LTE connectivity, allowing it to connect to the internet without an iPhone nearby.
Aetna hopes to influence consumers to be more aware of their lifestyle and health by implementing the free Apple Watch. It will push them to learn more about their health, as well as what Aetna can provide for them to become healthier.
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