Health insurance firm Aetna is relying on the power of the Apple Watch to drive its brand new wellness program called Attain. Aetna’s new opt-in initiative will offer participants real world rewards in exchange for healthy behavior, and Aetna will rely on data captured securely and privately with the Apple Watch to measure participant progress. Aetna’s new Attain wellness initiative marks the first time the Apple Watch has been used at this scale to power a program of this type with an emphasis on convenience and privacy.
Aetna says the new Attain program is based in part on the experience from the firm’s earlier experience with using the Apple Watch to promote healthy living. While the program is officially being announced today, the Attain app behind the experience is due later this spring:
The Attain program will work with the iPhone 5s and later when paired with the Apple Watch Series 1 or later.
Aetna says its upcoming Attain program is designed around four aspects. First, Aetna will set customized daily and weekly activity goals for each participant based on age, sex, and weight, and thanks to the Apple Watch, those goals won’t be limited to step tracking but instead will include other activities like yoga and swimming.
Attain will also be based on regular challenges focused on improving sleep, mindfulness, and nutritional improvements as part of a measurement of everyday health. The privacy-focused, opt-in program will also incorporate Aetna member health history in addition to data captured by the Apple Watch. This information can include positive activities like remembering to get your flu shoot and maintaining regular visits with your primary care physician.
Finally, Attain will show progress through the program for participants with a simple to understand point system that can easily be viewed on the iPhone. Points accumulated can be exchanged for credit toward the cost of the Apple Watch or for retail gift cards.
Apple will also play a role in the program if Aetna customers decide to share insights with the company:
Apple’s COO Jeff Williams who is heavily involved in Apple Watch and health initiatives at Apple had this to say:
Aetna emphasizes that Attain will be completely voluntary, with customers opting-in to participate, and data shared through the program will remain encrypted and in compliance with HIPAA standards. Check out www.AttainbyAetna.com for more details.
