Amber Neely
Devoted Health, a Florida-based plan for senior citizens, is the first private Medicare plan to cover the Apple Watch as a benefit.
Devoted Health, founded by Todd and Ed Park, specializes in private Medicare Advantage Plans for targets senior citizens. The company was Valued at $1.8 billion dollars a year ago, according to CNBC. Now, Devoted hopes to set itself apart from other insurers by focusing on "world class technology."
The company has decided to offer up to $150 off the cost of an Apple Watch for its members. The Apple Watch Series 3 is currently available for $199, meaning that Devoted Health members could snag the wearable for around $50.
Devoted's marketing materials state that it will cover up to $150 per year towards classes, programs, and wearable devices like an Apple Watch. This is done through "wellness bucks," which are reimbursement funds that can be issued to members with proof of purchase.
Devoted Health has gone on record saying it wants to give its members "the tools they need to keep healthy outside of the doctors office. We are thrilled to be the first Medicare Advantage Plan to collaborate with Apple."
It is likely that other insurers will soon follow suit. The Apple Watch has been putting health at the forefront since its inception, saving lives, providing critical data to be used in research, and encouraging people to get active.
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6 Comments
Good luck Samsung!
Bam <3
When the Watch debuted it was panned as useless bling. My how things have changed.
As a (now retired) Home Health nurse I learned 4 things from my patients:
1) For most, the medical industry could not help them -- at best it could keep them alive but living a miserable existence.
2) Most of their troubles were caused by what I came to think of as "self inflicted wounds" from unhealthy lifestyles.
3) Most were so far down the slippery slope that they could never climb back up to health. They had only one way to go.
4) I was starting down that same slippery slope.
It triggered me, after over 5 decades of a very unhealthy lifestyle to learn what a healthy lifestyle is and how to do it.
And, increasingly my Apple Watch is big part of that. Not only does it record the frequency, duration and intensity of my workouts but my general activity level. I also use it to record what I eat each day and it helps taking in the right amounts of the right stuff. Plus, a couple weeks ago when I was out alone on a trail and tripped on a hidden rock it responded by asking if it should call 911 for me.
As a nurse I was taught that most of what we call "Age Related Diseases" are not caused by aging -- they are diseases mostly brought on by unhealthy lifestyles.
I am glad to see insurers starting to get on board and supporting the tools people need to help them stay healthy and functional as they age. It not only helps their clients but, ultimately, it will reduce the $3.5 Trillion a year we spend on medical care.