UnitedHealthcare offers cash for your Apple Watch health data

AppleInsider

A new rewards program from UnitedHealthcare lets people earn money by completing various health goals using an Apple Watch or other wearable -- with a giant catch.

New UnitedHealthcare rewards program

UnitedHealthcare Rewards offers up to $1,000 per for eligible members, including spouses, by completing various daily health goals and one-time activities. Members can also use a smartphone capable of tracking health, such as an iPhone and Apple's Health app.

The money that members earn can be added to a prepaid debit card or deposited into a health savings account to help cover out-of-pocket medical costs.

The program offers incentives and integration with UnitedHealthCare's website or mobile app. The app requires iOS 14 or later.

Health activities

Members can earn rewards by completing the following ongoing and one-time activities.

• Achieve 5,000 steps or more each day


• Complete 15 minutes or more of activity per day


• Track sleep for 14 nights


• Get a biometric screening


• Complete a health survey


• Select paperless billing


• Additional qualifying activities will be added throughout the year

UnitedHealthcare Rewards is now available to select employers with fully insured plans at the start of their new plan year. Later in 2023, more businesses with fully insured plans will have access, with the intention of allowing self-funded clients to buy UnitedHealthcare Rewards by the end of 2024.

The caveat is that UnitedHealthcare will need access members' Health data, such as sleep and exercise activity, that they might not have had before. As an insurance company, UnitedHealthcare could use the data in various ways, such as using it to make healthcare decisions.

It's a tradeoff involving highly sensitive data that is probably worth more than $1,000 per year to companies.

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ihatescreennames

Paying me for the data I opt in to provide sounds like a trend I would like to see expand.

rob53

I'm not trying to make this political but everything is political right now. United HealthCare partners with AARP, which isn't exactly that great of a program for older people. I found an article that discusses their ties adding OptumRx to the trifecta. "Sadly, the AARP has become little more than a marketing scam for its big corporate financial sponsors — UnitedHealth and its wholly-owned OptumRx pharmacy business. Doing so has become quite lucrative: Research shows that in 2017, AARP received $627 million from UnitedHealth." I'm sure many AI commenters, at least older ones, constantly get AARP and United HealthCare junk mail so it doesn't surprise me that this rewards plan is another trojan horse plan grabbing personal information to be sold to the highest bidder.

Do I trust United HealthCare? Absolutely not. I also got out of AARP years ago once I saw how much garbage they sent me. Are these companies symptomatic of all healthcare? Probably, but I hope not.

dewme

rob53 said:

I'm not trying to make this political but everything is political right now. United HealthCare partners with AARP, which isn't exactly that great of a program for older people. I found an article that discusses their ties adding OptumRx to the trifecta. "Sadly, the AARP has become little more than a marketing scam for its big corporate financial sponsors — UnitedHealth and its wholly-owned OptumRx pharmacy business. Doing so has become quite lucrative: Research shows that in 2017, AARP received $627 million from UnitedHealth." I'm sure many AI commenters, at least older ones, constantly get AARP and United HealthCare junk mail so it doesn't surprise me that this rewards plan is another trojan horse plan grabbing personal information to be sold to the highest bidder.

Do I trust United HealthCare? Absolutely not. I also got out of AARP years ago once I saw how much garbage they sent me. Are these companies symptomatic of all healthcare? Probably, but I hope not.

Nothing you mentioned is political. This is all about a for-profit business trying to maximize their profitability. They’re trying to reduce their current operating costs, lower their potential future liabilities by advocating for better personal lifestyle choices by those they insure, and, if you believe they are benefiting through some side hustle involving data capture, spin up an additional source of revenue. That’s just business. 

Now, if they were taking actions to poison the well in order to reduce the likelihood of the US adopting a single payer healthcare system or national program, or looking for government to put mandates in place to force everyone to use their cost reduction measures, that would be politics in play. 

paxman

designr said:

ihatescreennames said:

Paying me for the data I opt in to provide sounds like a trend I would like to see expand.

And, in this case, it's a double-benefit if it encourages someone to begin—and make a habit—of some healthy life choices. That part will pay greater dividends than the money alone.

No healthcare, pharma or insurance company ever did anything other than for their bottom line. There is no way this has anything to do with making healthy choices. A healthy client is a non-paying client, the saying goes. Don't you ever feel you are being scammed?

waveparticle

paxman said:

designr said:

ihatescreennames said:

Paying me for the data I opt in to provide sounds like a trend I would like to see expand.

And, in this case, it's a double-benefit if it encourages someone to begin—and make a habit—of some healthy life choices. That part will pay greater dividends than the money alone.

No healthcare, pharma or insurance company ever did anything other than for their bottom line. There is no way this has anything to do with making healthy choices. A healthy client is a non-paying client, the saying goes. Don't you ever feel you are being scammed?

There is no free lunch. Except from the US government. 

paxman

waveparticle said:

paxman said:

designr said:

ihatescreennames said:

Paying me for the data I opt in to provide sounds like a trend I would like to see expand.

And, in this case, it's a double-benefit if it encourages someone to begin—and make a habit—of some healthy life choices. That part will pay greater dividends than the money alone.

No healthcare, pharma or insurance company ever did anything other than for their bottom line. There is no way this has anything to do with making healthy choices. A healthy client is a non-paying client, the saying goes. Don't you ever feel you are being scammed?

There is no free lunch. Except from the US government. 

There isn't really a free lunch from the US government unless you are a healthcare, Pharma or insurance company, or unless of course, you are already so wealthy you just don't need it. 

isrs

rob53 said:

UnitedHealth and its wholly-owned OptumRx pharmacy business.

Not sure how important this is to your calculus, but a major reason that UHG got into the Pharmacy Benefit Management  business, with Optum Rx and it’s growth, specifically, was at the behest of the government acengies, I believe, in an effort to combat the CVS/Aetna merger to “combat” prescription prices.

Not commenting on the merits of the idea, or (in)effectiveness, but just thought it was interesting.

paxman

designr said:

paxman said:

designr said:

ihatescreennames said:

Paying me for the data I opt in to provide sounds like a trend I would like to see expand.

And, in this case, it's a double-benefit if it encourages someone to begin—and make a habit—of some healthy life choices. That part will pay greater dividends than the money alone.

No healthcare, pharma or insurance company ever did anything other than for their bottom line. There is no way this has anything to do with making healthy choices. A healthy client is a non-paying client, the saying goes. Don't you ever feel you are being scammed?

That is true with the health service delivery part (i.e., doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceuticals). Insurance companies want to avoid paying for these things. One way for this to happen is for you to need it less. One way for that to happen is for you to be healthier.

Totally agree. Following any kind of official guidelines are unlikely to make that happen, however. I am not sure an insurance company cares how much it pays out as whatever it is will always be reflected in what it charges. They more it pays out the more it will charge and the more it will profit. Health for profit doesn't really work. 

chasm

Having lived in the US as well as in countries outside the US, I will simply say that for-profit medical insurance and care is obscene and immoral.

Countries with universal healthcare pay less per person in costs, offer dramatically lower prescription costs, and achieve longer average lifespans, generally with a higher quality of life for patients. It is bewildering to me that America (almost alone in the world) has allowed this profit-driven industry to take hold.

sconosciuto

designr said:

Cue: Paranoid dystopian predictions.

there is nothing paranoid whatsoever about imagining that greedy health insurance companies (but I repeat myself) will use our personal health data against us in order to deny us necessary care and  fatten their obscene, immoral profits.

It is simply observing past behavior.

edited February 2023

sconosciuto

designr said:

ihatescreennames said:

Paying me for the data I opt in to provide sounds like a trend I would like to see expand.

And, in this case, it's a double-benefit if it encourages someone to begin—and make a habit—of some healthy life choices. That part will pay greater dividends than the money alone.

Hey everybody, found the glibertarian who actually believes with a straight face that the only time people get ill is when they make poor life choices and therefore they should suffer the consequences of their poor choice to become ill.

edited February 2023

spheric

designr said:

Cue: Paranoid dystopian predictions.

No need for "predictions". 

This is total dystopian nightmare reality. 

paxman

designr said:

paxman said:

designr said:

paxman said:

designr said:

ihatescreennames said:

Paying me for the data I opt in to provide sounds like a trend I would like to see expand.

And, in this case, it's a double-benefit if it encourages someone to begin—and make a habit—of some healthy life choices. That part will pay greater dividends than the money alone.

No healthcare, pharma or insurance company ever did anything other than for their bottom line. There is no way this has anything to do with making healthy choices. A healthy client is a non-paying client, the saying goes. Don't you ever feel you are being scammed?

That is true with the health service delivery part (i.e., doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceuticals). Insurance companies want to avoid paying for these things. One way for this to happen is for you to need it less. One way for that to happen is for you to be healthier.

Totally agree. Following any kind of official guidelines are unlikely to make that happen, however. I am not sure an insurance company cares how much it pays out as whatever it is will always be reflected in what it charges. They more it pays out the more it will charge and the more it will profit. Health for profit doesn't really work. 

Okay. 🙄

As a kind of 'aside' here is a graphic of what happened when the USDA introduced the dietary guidelines. You can research this as much as you want. The food pyramid is an absolute joke and was never based on science at all. Today 88% of Americans are classed as metabolically unhealthy. 

paxman

designr said:

paxman said:

designr said:

paxman said:

designr said:

paxman said:

designr said:

ihatescreennames said:

Paying me for the data I opt in to provide sounds like a trend I would like to see expand.

And, in this case, it's a double-benefit if it encourages someone to begin—and make a habit—of some healthy life choices. That part will pay greater dividends than the money alone.

No healthcare, pharma or insurance company ever did anything other than for their bottom line. There is no way this has anything to do with making healthy choices. A healthy client is a non-paying client, the saying goes. Don't you ever feel you are being scammed?

That is true with the health service delivery part (i.e., doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceuticals). Insurance companies want to avoid paying for these things. One way for this to happen is for you to need it less. One way for that to happen is for you to be healthier.

Totally agree. Following any kind of official guidelines are unlikely to make that happen, however. I am not sure an insurance company cares how much it pays out as whatever it is will always be reflected in what it charges. They more it pays out the more it will charge and the more it will profit. Health for profit doesn't really work. 

Okay. ߙ䦬t;/div>

As a kind of 'aside' here is a graphic of what happened when the USDA introduced the dietary guidelines. You can research this as much as you want. The food pyramid is an absolute joke and was never based on science at all. Today 88% of Americans are classed as metabolically unhealthy. 

No question the food pyramid is a joke—a tragedy really—and why we ought to keep the government out of health and healthcare.

But things like 5,000 steps or more each day, 15 minutes or more of activity per day, and healthy sleep habits and patterns are not the food pyramid.

That is true and whatever keeps you (one) moving is a good thing. Health is a multi faceted thing but a sedentary lifestyle is not going to do you any favours. What's the saying - wanna get fit, go to the gym, wanna lose weight, stay out of the kitchen.  There is some truth to that but exercise and food choices might actually be more important.

edited February 2023

filemakerfeller

chasm said:

Having lived in the US as well as in countries outside the US, I will simply say that for-profit medical insurance and care is obscene and immoral.

Countries with universal healthcare pay less per person in costs, offer dramatically lower prescription costs, and achieve longer average lifespans, generally with a higher quality of life for patients. It is bewildering to me that America (almost alone in the world) has allowed this profit-driven industry to take hold.

Land of the free, home of the dollar.