UnitedHealthcare is the latest insurance firm to look to Apple Watch as an incentive to keep its customers healthy. The provider will not only offer the option to earn an Apple Watch for essentially free, but it will allow users to earn up to $1,000 toward medical bills after the cost of the wearable.
Reported by CNET, UnitedHealthcare shared the news yesterday about the new initiative at HIMSS, a health conference in Las Vegas.
Similar to what we saw announced by life insurance provider, John Hancock, UnitedHealthcare members will get the chance to earn a free Apple Watch Series 3 after meeting some activity goals.
After paying tax and shipping, anyone enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Motion can get an Apple Watch Series 3 and have the option to apply earnings from the program toward buying the device. After that, their earnings are deposited into their health savings account or health reimbursement account to help cover out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The program allows users to earn up to $1,000 a year, of which those earrings can be used to pay for an Apple Watch.
As for UnitedHealthcare’s required goals to earn the rewards, there are three aspects:
The program’s walking goals are centered around frequency (walking 500 steps within seven minutes six times per day, at least an hour apart), intensity (3,000 steps within 30 minutes) and tenacity (10,000 total steps each day). If participants meet these daily goals, they can own the watch in six months.
These goals are built into the insurance provider’s Motion app which integrates with Apple HealthKit. The company will be rolling out the new program to a limited amount of users starting in July and plans to do a full release later this year.
Apple has also been working with major healthcare provider, Aetna, to look at providing subsidized or free Apple Watches to the insurers some 23 million customers.
Apple has been enjoying some serious growth of its wearable along as it has become the world’s most popular wearable. If partnerships with major insurers like UnitedHealthcare and Aetna take hold, the company’s market share could become untouchable in the near future.
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