Humana's Healthy Lifestyle Rewards Program Adds HealthKit Support

[MacRumors]

Last month, it was reported that Apple was in talks with health insurers about its HealthKit tools that officially launched to the public with iOS 8 earlier this month. The report suggested Apple may have been looking to partner with insurers on programs to reward users for maintaining healthy lifestyles and reaching fitness goals as tracked by HealthKit.

One of the insurers mentioned in the report was Humana, which today officially announced integration between its HumanaVitality rewards program and HealthKit. Under the program, members can receive wellness points redeemable for a variety of rewards including fitness equipment, electronics, and movie tickets.

Recent updates to the HumanaVitality app have added HealthKit support to pull in data from wearable devices and Apple's own fitness-oriented tracking features, making it easy for users to document their progress.

The HumanaVitality App, designed to make it easy and simple for consumers to engage with their health, enables users to create and measure specific, personal wellness goals (get active, eat better, lose weight or reduce stress). HumanaVitality rewards members for meeting these goals and for other healthy behaviors, from getting a biometrics screening to taking 10,000 physician-recommended steps a day.

HumanaVitality members who use the HumanaVitality App can upload fitness data from their favorite wearables into Apple Health and earn Vitality Points for hitting their health and fitness milestones.

HumanaVitality [Direct Link] is a free download from the App Store.

Article Link: Humana's Healthy Lifestyle Rewards Program Adds HealthKit Support

 

[smithrh]

Ugh - this is the worst part of HealthKit - having someone else track you, that someone being your health insurance company.

 

[Craiger]

Sometimes after work, I will go on a 30 minute run/walk for about 3 miles.

Even then I am not hitting 10k steps a day. I think that is a really poor measurement.

Maybe this is due to my long strides? I really don't want to pay more for health insurance because I take long strides.

 

[Lershac]

No way in hell

Am I letting my insurance company track my health/lifestyle via my phone. Who thought this was a good idea? Insurance executives?

 

[Lictor]

It's because you're not walking right

Seriously, the problem with using simplistic metrics such as steps is that they do not take into account your whole activity, your health and your habits...

For instance, if you commute by bike and do 30km per day, you will probably not have your 10k steps a day. Yet, I would say you're going to be pretty fit nevertheless... Same if you're into swimming, which can't even be measured by either the iPhone or the Apple Watch.

Also, the steps is an oversimplification for keeping people active, it's not a golden rule. For instance, if you spend 10 hours a day sitting at a desk without ever moving, 10k steps a day are not going to repair the damage to your body, standing just does destroy your body that much. But if you are careful to stand up and move a bit every 20 minutes, you might actually be in much better shape even without doing your 10k steps a day...

 

[Lershac]

Gps too?

I see you are having an elevated heart rate... Perhaps you should leave the titty bar?

 

[6836838]

Never!

 

[Robin4]

Sometimes after work, I will go on a 30 minute run/walk for about 3 miles.

Even then I am not hitting 10k steps a day. I think that is a really poor measurement.

Maybe this is due to my long strides? I really don't want to pay more for health insurance because I take long strides.

I'm sure you are reaching 10k steps in a day. My Fitbit shows 4 miles = 10k steps. Moving around to get to work and a few chores easily add up to way over one mile.

 

[paulrustad101]

Big Brother

They are watching you! They are tracking you! Is this what you really wanted?

 

[cloudnessisx]

Sometimes after work, I will go on a 30 minute run/walk for about 3 miles.

Even then I am not hitting 10k steps a day. I think that is a really poor measurement.

Maybe this is due to my long strides? I really don't want to pay more for health insurance because I take long strides.

In order to hit 10k steps out of 3 miles, your strides have to be shorter than 19 inches (50 cm), which is way below average human stride (69 to 97 cm). So unless you have very short legs, it is totally normal than you don't hit 10k steps until at least 6900 meters (4.28 miles).

Knowing your stride length is useful in various circumstances like when you are lost in forest without GPS or iPhone. Just map a short walking route on your favorite Maps app, 500 meters is enough for accuracy. Count your steps. Divide and you get to know your stride length.

 

[8CoreWhore]

Sometimes after work, I will go on a 30 minute run/walk for about 3 miles.

Even then I am not hitting 10k steps a day. I think that is a really poor measurement.

Maybe this is due to my long strides? I really don't want to pay more for health insurance because I take long strides.

I walk around a lake that is over 9 miles. It is 19,000+ steps.

So 10,000 is about 5 miles. If you get some through incidental walking, lets say 2 miles, then they are saying people should walk another 3 miles per day, every day. Very few will do this. And even this might not be enough as you point out above. (3 miles plus incidental not enough)

But what if you want to run instead and you get more benefit with less steps? They doesn't count that? Lets say you want to ride a bike 20 miles per day for 5 days a week? They don't count that? Just steps?

In any case, we should be sharing as little as possible with these corporations. There are companies that make money collecting data on people and selling it to insurers. Like to engage in risky sports and share it on FaceBook? Try buying life insurance.

These insurers can look at a negative health trend sent to them buy these apps and Apple Watch and raise your rates.

With the new healthcare bill passed, we can forget about the dream of eliminating the insurers, mostly, like Canada and France, etc for a few more decades. Instead, it forced us into their pens.

 

[Macman1993]

They are watching you! They are tracking you! Is this what you really wanted?

Nope, which is why I won't sign up for it, problem solved. Nobody is forcing you to do this, they're offering an incentive for being healthy.

 

[NutsNGum]

Nope, which is why I won't sign up for it, problem solved. Nobody is forcing you to do this, they're offering an incentive for being healthy.

Exactly, like dying of a massive heart attack shouldn't be incentive enough.

 

[kdarling]

(No way in hell) am I letting my insurance company track my health/lifestyle via my phone. Who thought this was a good idea? Insurance executives?

Apple's pretty smart. Maybe they've found a way to monetize this, like they did with Apple Pay.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the new national health-care law, companies can spend as much as 30 percent of annual insurance premiums on rewards for healthy behavior.

Technology companies are taking note. Apple Inc., which has new health-tracking software called HealthKit that will be released this year and is said to be developing its own wearable device, has talked with UnitedHealth, the biggest U.S. insurer, and Humana, about its health initiatives, executives at the insurance providers said. The companies wouldn't provide specifics about the conversations. Apple declined to comment.

Perhaps negotiate a cut of the health rewards kickback?

That wouldn't be a privacy breach, since it's up to the user to turn on the information sharing. Apple's just making it easier and more attractive to do, same as paying with Apple Pay.

 

[KeepCalmPeople]

Another app that reads data from the Health app, but contributes nothing...

 

[iososx]

Ugh - this is the worst part of HealthKit - having someone else track you, that someone being your health insurance company.

This proves that the entire purpose is tracking. Contrary to the warm and fuzzy hype of its useful to improve your fitness. While true that's possible, reality is only fit people like myself will embrace it for that purpose.

I'm lucky being young and fit even though I do the work at the gym daily, there's millions of iPhone users that don't. That's where the problem is. They don't pay attention like so many other overweight people and it's a gold mine for the insurance companies.

Apples proven track record is monetizing and profiting off everything they do, it's all about the money. While there's nothing wrong with that and it drives up my Apple stock, millions in poor health will pay dearly. I sure wouldn't want to be them.

 

[spazzcat]

I walk around a lake that is over 9 miles. It is 19,000+ steps.

So 10,000 is about 5 miles. If you get some through incidental walking, lets say 2 miles, then they are saying people should walk another 3 miles per day, every day. Very few will do this. And even this might not be enough as you point out above. (3 miles plus incidental not enough)

But what if you want to run instead and you get more benefit with less steps? They doesn't count that? Lets say you want to ride a bike 20 miles per day for 5 days a week? They don't count that? Just steps?

In any case, we should be sharing as little as possible with these corporations. There are companies that make money collecting data on people and selling it to insurers. Like to engage in risky sports and share it on FaceBook? Try buying life insurance.

These insurers can look at a negative health trend sent to them buy these apps and Apple Watch and raise your rates.

With the new healthcare bill passed, we can forget about the dream of eliminating the insurers, mostly, like Canada and France, etc for a few more decades. Instead, it forced us into their pens.

When I bike I wear my fitbit, it's pretty easy to get to 10K steps. When I do long rides 50+ miles, I will have well over 50K in steps...

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Apples proven track record is monetizing and profiting off everything they do, it's all about the money. While there's nothing wrong with that and it drives up my Apple stock, millions in poor health will pay dearly. I sure wouldn't want to be them.

Well, yes, Apple is a for-profit company. Of course they are going to make every dime possible. It's a ludicrous position to complain a that a for-profit company is trying to boost revenue.

And, no. The ACA means that people who are physically able to exercise but don't won't pay more -- they should, but they won't. But I don't understand your supposition because people who don't care about their fitness aren't gong to monitor it either. If they don't monitor it they can't be tracked. Also, Healthkit is "opt-in," not "opt-out," so a user has to explicitly allow an app to share info.

Specifically to this app, Humana is trying to incentivize being active. Again, it's 100% opt-in. I personally would not opt-in because I value my privacy more than a cost of movie tickets and I don't need an incentive to exercise other than my own health. Auto insurance companies have similar monitors in exchange for lower rates. Again I opt out because I don't need a nanny to look over my driving. But for someone trying to save a few bucks or with a previously irresponsible driving record its a good way to earn forgiveness.

 

[bookcase]

I have Humana for insurance and I will never sign up for something in which they can track my activity.

However, for myself, I have a Fitbit and would like to incorporate those statistics in HealthKit, but it doesn't seem to support it. Is it likely this will work at some point?

 

[rohitp]

Orwellian

We are willingly entering the Orwellian State. Guess 1984=2014, only off by 30 years.

Like this isn't going to come back and bite you! It's only a matter of time until Obamacare or any insurance company will require your smartphone to be completely complaint with transmitting your movement/exercise/diet to receive healthcare.

 

[Jasilv21]

Social Security Number?

Why does this app need my SSN?

 

[Lictor]

Well, yes, Apple is a for-profit company.

Nothing wrong with that. However, Apple sells premium devices for a price that is above the competitors. Again, nothing wrong with that. But a given was that that meant the product was the iPhone. Now, Apple is going the same way as Google, turning the customer into the product.

And, no. The ACA means that people who are physically able to exercise but don't won't pay more

The problem is that there are so many trackers now that you will on some of them. They can use that to make you pay more or even to deny coverage... For instance:

• Do you sleep 8 hours per night? If not, you're putting yourself at risk for cardiovascular events.
• Do you drink green tea, wine or other beverages with very high antioxidant contents? If not, you're putting yourself at risk for cancer
• Is you work stressful? If so, that's a risk for depression, suicide or cancer
• Do you practice meditation? If not, that's putting you at risk for high blood presure
• Do you consume "light" products. If so, you're putting yourself at risk for diabetis

And so on... As soon as you track everything, you're bound to find something everyone does wrong. And diseases stop being something related to probabilities but something you're guilty of...

If they don't monitor it they can't be tracked.

And how long before insurances think that if you don't you're doing something wrong and unhealthy or think you're trying to hide a prior condition by not tracking yourself?

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

Sometimes after work, I will go on a 30 minute run/walk for about 3 miles.

Even then I am not hitting 10k steps a day. I think that is a really poor measurement.

Maybe this is due to my long strides? I really don't want to pay more for health insurance because I take long strides.

I'm 5'10", and I get about 2,000 steps/mile, so if you were me, you (or is it me?) would get 6,000 steps from that activity alone.

I think it's a matter of perspective. At work, there's a sign that says, "you burn 5x as many calories taking the stairs as you do the elevator."

So, I just take the elevator 5 times when I'm going upstairs.

----------

I have Humana for insurance and I will never sign up for something in which they can track my activity.

However, for myself, I have a Fitbit and would like to incorporate those statistics in HealthKit, but it doesn't seem to support it. Is it likely this will work at some point?

Sooner or later, they'll give you a discount for giving them your information, and then make you justify why you're not doing it. It's a sly way of peer pressuring people. Just look at Flo in the Progressive (it's really not that ironic when you consider the Progressive Movement) Insurance Company:

We'll track how you drive, and price your insurance accordingly.

We will track how you live, and price your insurance accordingly.

Oh yeah, and since you're alive, and you live in the USA, you must buy health insurance, because saying that you don't want to buy something, but being compelled to do so against your will, is what freedom is all about.

 

[LordJohnWhorfin]

Humana is a horrible company. It was featured on 60 minutes for its deceptive, scandalous tactics where they just refuse to pay claims, because they can get away with it: first, they made it practically impossible to sue them, and then if you manage to do so, the best you can ever hope to squeeze out of them is what they should have paid in the first place -- not even your lawyer fees, even when you prove willful wrongdoing.
That company should be shutdown and its CEO and VPs put in jail for life for all the misery they caused. If your company offers their plan, lobby them to ditch them and get something else. Don't take my word for it. Google it.

 

[iososx]

Why does this app need my SSN?

It doesn't, but providing it will make it even easier to verify it's you.
However asking or requiring it is illegal, yet under the current "leadership" few laws are enforced in this country. It's all one big mess.