Aetna Will Reward Its Attain App Users with an Apple Watch

[cageymaru]

Aetna has launched a new initiative called Attain that will allow its users to pay for their Apple Watch by participating in the program. Aetna has deep clinical experience assisting its members with their healthcare needs from wellness to chronic disease. Through the use of an Apple Watch, the Attain app will provide Aetna members personalized goals, track their daily activity levels, recommend healthy actions, and ultimately reward them for taking these actions to improve their well-being. Members who participate in the personalized experience that combines their health history with the power of the Apple Watch, will have a chance to earn their Apple Watch as a reward. Participation requires that Aetna members have an iPhone 5S or later and an Apple Watch Series 1 or later. The program is completely voluntary and users can choose the information that they share.

After users have joined Attain, they will have the additional option to share their Attain program data and health history with Apple, enabling Apple and Aetna to collaborate, and over time, continue to improve the Attain experience. Through analytics and machine learning, the collaboration will lead to new features for Attain, offering more personalized recommendations designed to give greater context and decrease barriers to health care. All Attain health data is encrypted on the device, in transit, and on Aetna and Apple's servers, where it will be stored in a highly secure environment using industry-leading practices fully in compliance with HIPAA. Information from this program will not be used for underwriting, premium or coverage decisions.

 

[Boscoh]

Information from this program will not be used for underwriting, premium or coverage decisions.

And that is the key right now. Although I'm okay with lower premiums for active height/weight proportionate people who get regular physicals, this exclusion really makes this a win for anyone already using a watch as a health tracker. This is a great idea from Aetna. My employer does something similar with various activity and health goals through the year that lower our premiums and/or contribute to our HSA if we use a high deductible plan.

 

[purple_monster]

so, i took a picture of me with my shirt off- i am extremely, extremely obese. i printed it 2x3 inches and i taped it to my wrist where i can see it constantly. cost me $1.50 and does exactly the same thing as a fit watch.

 

[Boscoh]

so, i took a picture of me with my shirt off- i am extremely, extremely obese. i printed it 2x3 inches and i taped it to my wrist where i can see it constantly. cost me $1.50 and does exactly the same thing as a fit watch.

I did something similar 70lbs ago. The before/after pics are sobering when I look at them!

 

[guitarslingerchris]

so, i took a picture of me with my shirt off- i am extremely, extremely obese. i printed it 2x3 inches and i taped it to my wrist where i can see it constantly. cost me $1.50 and does exactly the same thing as a fit watch.

Start running/jogging/biking and you'll change your mind. Learning to control your heart rate will change quite dramatically the amount you can do and will help get you where you want to be much faster. I speak from personal experience of losing 160lbs and my Fitbit Blaze was a huge help along the way to running a half marathon then riding a 100 mile bike race and finally a full marathon. Now I'm fat again and will have to do it all from scratch with my trusty watch.

 

[Deleted member 214115]

Horrible idea......it is none of their business what you are. This is only to data mine and profit from it. This will do nothing but increase premiums for all.

 

[nutzo]

I speak from personal experience of losing 160lbs

Yikes.

I'm over weight, but if I lost 160 pounds, I'd be back to my 4th grade weight and would be in the hospital

 

[ammosponge]

this is only and exclusively a data grab. it WILL be converted in a terms of service change. once they get enough to model, they will make the fitness tracker mandatory.

 

[Wrecked Em]

I love it when people actually believe that these large companies are spending a fortune in infrastructure, all for the sake of charging you less money.

 

[chrispix]

"Participation requires that Aetna members have an iPhone 5S or later and an Apple Watch Series 1 or later. "

Nope.. Sorry.. I would rather die than invest a penny into a walled garden of apple.

 

[zkostik]

Start running/jogging/biking and you'll change your mind. Learning to control your heart rate will change quite dramatically the amount you can do and will help get you where you want to be much faster. I speak from personal experience of losing 160lbs and my Fitbit Blaze was a huge help along the way to running a half marathon then riding a 100 mile bike race and finally a full marathon. Now I'm fat again and will have to do it all from scratch with my trusty watch.

Just don't do it in a 90 degree weather with 100% humidity like many running preachers do or you risk rewarding yourself with heart or brain issues not too far down the road... And really, one doesn't need a stupid watch or an app to know whether they say on their ass all day or they exercised. For many folks the problem starts with bad diet, so fix your diet and eat good healthy foods and exercise daily and health will improve.

 

[harbingerofdoom]

i stopped at "apple"

 

[vegeta535]

And that is the key right now. Although I'm okay with lower premiums for active height/weight proportionate people who get regular physicals, this exclusion really makes this a win for anyone already using a watch as a health tracker. This is a great idea from Aetna. My employer does something similar with various activity and health goals through the year that lower our premiums and/or contribute to our HSA if we use a high deductible plan.

I call bullshit on that. I know people that got those trackers from car insurance companies claim will lower your insurance if you install them. They say the data they gather will never increase your rates. Well yeah 6 months later their rates went up significantly. The general rate increase you see from insurance companies is not significant if you haven't got any points or accidents.

 

[katanaD]

I love it when people actually believe that these large companies are spending a fortune in infrastructure, all for the sake of charging you less money.

kinda like when one company will spend billions to buy a competitor, so it can lower rates to customers...

 

[Boscoh]

I call bullshit on that. I know people that got those trackers from car insurance companies claim will lower your insurance if you install them. They say the data they gather will never increase your rates. Well yeah 6 months later their rates went up significantly. The general rate increase you see from insurance companies is not significant if you haven't got any points or accidents.

You may want to shop your insurance more often. Shopping every few years can save you 10%+ on your insurance. I'd call that significant.