This recently appeared on Bloomberg.com, click here to read the article in full.
Aetna Inc. will give some customers and employees discounts on Apple Inc.’s smartwatch, offering the potential that incentives from the insurance industry could boost sales of the technology giant’s wearable device.
The health insurer, which covers about 23 million people in the U.S., is developing apps for Apple devices that will help consumers remember to take their medicines, get a refill on prescriptions, or contact a doctor. The applications, which will be available next year, will also help members understand their insurance benefits and use Apple’s Wallet feature to pay bills, Aetna said Tuesday in a statement with Apple.
Aetna said its almost 50,000 employees will be eligible for the watch at no cost. It will be up to employers that contract with Aetna to decide whether their workers get the watch, and how or if it’s subsidized, said Ethan Slavin, an Aetna spokesman. Slavin declined to give an estimate of how many non-Aetna employees might get the watch.