Apple's AC Wellness offering free genetic testing to employees
Apple employees based in Silicon Valley are able to have genetic tests performed for free via the company's AC Wellness clinics, through a partnership with Color Genomics, in what may be a pilot program for the iPhone maker's healthcare project.
The tests, provided to employees working on-site at its Silicon Valley offices and their dependents at no cost, can be used to screen for genetic health issues and highlight potential risks to their life as they age. The program, which is being conducted with Color Genomics, has apparently been in operation for months, but is limited only to Apple offices in that area.
The screening is being held in Apple's AC Wellness locations, anonymous sources of CNBC reveal, with the idea behind the scheme being to move towards preventative care instead of reactive. By flagging possible issues before they surface, the screenings could allow clients to live longer and healthier lives.
Unlike testing from outfits like 23andMe and Ancestry, the Color tests are not available to consumers directly, and instead are prescribed by clinicians at AC Wellness, and are usually followed up with consultations over the results.
AC Wellness opened in 2018 as a primary care solution for Apple employees in California. The project is also a testing ground for Apple's future health products and upgrades to devices, with AC Wellness' nature of being a separate company to Apple helping limit potential leaks.
It is thought the partnership with Color allows Apple to dabble in the cutting-edge field of genetic testing, though questions remain as to how this could translate into future products and services the company could introduce in the future.
Apple's ambitions with AC Wellness are also to provide the best healthcare experience to its employees as possible, something which it can use as a benefit to attract new hires to the company. As part of this, in November Apple updated its employee benefits to offer financial assistance to those choosing to adopt, more help to new parents, and additional mental wellness options to all.
The tests, provided to employees working on-site at its Silicon Valley offices and their dependents at no cost, can be used to screen for genetic health issues and highlight potential risks to their life as they age. The program, which is being conducted with Color Genomics, has apparently been in operation for months, but is limited only to Apple offices in that area.
The screening is being held in Apple's AC Wellness locations, anonymous sources of CNBC reveal, with the idea behind the scheme being to move towards preventative care instead of reactive. By flagging possible issues before they surface, the screenings could allow clients to live longer and healthier lives.
Unlike testing from outfits like 23andMe and Ancestry, the Color tests are not available to consumers directly, and instead are prescribed by clinicians at AC Wellness, and are usually followed up with consultations over the results.
AC Wellness opened in 2018 as a primary care solution for Apple employees in California. The project is also a testing ground for Apple's future health products and upgrades to devices, with AC Wellness' nature of being a separate company to Apple helping limit potential leaks.
It is thought the partnership with Color allows Apple to dabble in the cutting-edge field of genetic testing, though questions remain as to how this could translate into future products and services the company could introduce in the future.
Apple's ambitions with AC Wellness are also to provide the best healthcare experience to its employees as possible, something which it can use as a benefit to attract new hires to the company. As part of this, in November Apple updated its employee benefits to offer financial assistance to those choosing to adopt, more help to new parents, and additional mental wellness options to all.
Comments
Amen!
https://www.acwellness.com/npp/
"The providers are not Apple Inc. employees, and Apple Inc. exercises no control over the provider’s independent professional judgment. The providers are independent contractors who each exercise their own independent professional judgment in the provision of your healthcare."
etc. etc.
"We may use or share your PHI once it has been “de-identified.” PHI is considered de-identified when it has been processed in such a way that it can no longer personally identify you in accordance with applicable federal privacy requirements."
Seems like reasonable FOIP practices to me.
These genetic testing services are gaining notoriety for selling the client's data to healthcare organizations, insurance companies and others. But, Apple has a reputation for protecting their customer's privacy. So, which paradigm is in force here: Traditional Apple privacy or genetic testing's sale of your private data?
One thing that could enter into it here is: these tests are not OTC stuff but prescribed by a physician -- which puts them into the realm of the healthcare system and under the protections of HIPAA. But, on the other hand we recently saw how well even HIPAA works when one of America's largest hospital chains was caught selling their patient's private healthcare and other personal information (name, address, diagnosis, treatments, etc...) to Google. (But don't worry -- Google promised to just store the data on their server and not use it or sell it. LOL...).
Be sure this data doesn't leak, because (medical insurance ) companies can discriminate you if you have build in diseases.
And you know, all data will be hacked if it is accessible via a web interface.
Pharmaceutical companies (Big Pharma) are known to be the least ethical and most agressieve imaginable.
Its dancing with the the devil.
Edit: forgot to say that $10000 or more for limited access to your data (DNA) would be reasonable.
As least get your facts right if nothing else. Google didn't buy private health data from "one of America's.largest hospital chains. When you post half truths you also post at least half lies.
By the way a BAA (Business Associate Agreement) to comply with HIPAA obligations is not a trivial contractual agreement. At least Apple doesn't think so. since they won't agree to one.
Then how did all that private patient data (names, addresses, diagnosis, treatments, etc., etc., etc....) end up on Google servers (not hospital cloud servers but Google's own servers for Google to use as they will) without the knowledge or consent of the patients involved?
At least this time Google didn't claim that it was done by some rogue programmer and they didn't know anything about it.
Keep reading and you'll get there along with understanding the reason the data is where it is.
Oh, and by the way if wouldn't harm anything to get back on topic: Apple and DNA testing.
In both cases, it was illegal. But the U.S. let them both go - again. Had they taken health information in Europe, they would have been busted - again.
You're not reading if you don't know why Google has the data stored under a BAA & HIPAA-compliant contract, and further claiming "it was illegal". Where the heck did you get that "fact" from?? Who ruled it illegal, the court of Mr Mac? So we're all supposed to sort out the lie from the truth claim by claim as you make 'em? You should hold yourself to a higher standard.
Here's a link to a wonderfully considered discussion at Vox. Listen to the podcast in it's entirety or read the high points in the accompanying article.
https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/11/19/20971337/google-medical-records-ascension-reset-podcast
BTW Google has struck similar partnerships with the health systems of Stanford University, the University of Chicago and the University of California at San Francisco. You might look into those too for legality in the Court of Mr.Mac.
Accessing private patient health care data (name, address, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, etc.) like Google has without the patient's knowledge or permission and without any medical need is illegal -- no matter how many excuses you make!
That's the law. Even physicians have ended up in legal trouble for accessing patient data for which they did not have the explicit consent of the patient.
But why does that surprise anybody? We all know Google makes their money by collecting data on people and making money off of it. It's why they drove around stealing WiFi data and it apparently continues to this day under different guises and forms.
No, it's not great work. It's known by everybody trained in HIPAA.
Google might have had a valid defense if they had not collected names & addresses along with all that private, protected health care information. But they did.
All this mix of imaginary and non-imaginary Google stuff from you has what to do with Apple and employee genetic testing? Nothing as far as I can see, serving only as a distraction and yet another Whaddabout Google moment.
I am sorry that you are so sensitive about Google -- or is it insensitive about their violations of privacy? But, it was you who went off the deep end in response to any criticism of the company. Specificially:
Wouldn't it be better all around if you made your points using 100% truth rather than half-truth's. You know what that makes the other half.
See, that's the post you should have made to begin with. Your initial one was FUDeliciousness. This paragraph is actually good AND informative, so congrats are in order for using a good example. Why couldn't you have done that originally rather than the lazy dishonest way?
By the way EHR's too are expected to be compliant with HIPAA. Your doctor knowing your health history before your appointment was not illegal or non-compliant unless rules were not followed.
Here's a salient point to consider: This genetics company testing might not fall under HIPAA rules to begin. Consumer-direct DNA testing services are not classed as covered entities under HIPAA and are therefore not subject to its regulations. That means these types of services are not protected by HIPAA and you do not have the same rights with respect to your personal data.