UnitedHealthcare Introduces Enhancements for Wearable Device Well-being Program, Including Access to Apple Fitness+ at No Additional Cost

Rhea-AI Summary

UnitedHealthcare has enhanced its well-being program, UnitedHealthcare Motion, offering eligible members access to Apple Fitness+ for six months at no cost. This program is aimed at encouraging fitness through studio-style workout classes and incentives for physical activities beyond walking. Participants can earn over $1,000 annually by meeting daily activity goals. Since its inception, members have collectively walked over 511 billion steps and earned over $60 million in rewards. The enhancements begin on January 1, providing new ways to engage in physical health.

Positive

• Enhanced program includes six months of free access to Apple Fitness+.
• Participants can earn over $1,000 annually by meeting daily activity targets.
• Introduces a wider range of activities to earn financial rewards.

Negative

• None.

UnitedHealthcare has introduced enhancements to one of its national well-being programs, providing certain members access for at least six months – at no additional cost – to Apple Fitness+ for studio-style workout classes, powered by Apple Watch. Apple Fitness+ brings studio-style workouts to iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, intelligently incorporating workout metrics from Apple Watch for a personalized and immersive experience users can complete wherever and whenever it is convenient for them.

UnitedHealthcare Motion is a wearable device well-being program, enabling eligible enrollees to earn more than $1,000 per year by meeting certain daily activity targets. (Graphic: UnitedHealthcare)

UnitedHealthcare Motion, a wearable device well-being program available for purchase to employers across the country with self-funded and fully insured health plans, introduced several enhancements to eligible participants, which begin Jan. 1, including:

• UnitedHealthcare Motion enrollees with Apple Watch will have access to Apple Fitness+ for at least six months at no additional cost, giving eligible program participants across the country access to inclusive and welcoming studio-style workouts powered by Apple Watch, including high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength, yoga, dance, core, cycling, treadmill (for running and walking), rowing and mindful cooldown. Eligible UnitedHealthcare Motion enrollees will receive an email after Jan. 1 with instructions on how to redeem this offer. Following the extended trial, UnitedHealthcare Motion enrollees may be able to apply program incentives to cover the Apple Fitness+ monthly subscription cost ($9.99). UnitedHealthcare Motion members are also able to apply program earnings toward the purchase price of Apple Watch, enabling participants to own – with a zero balance – the Apple Watch after approximately six months of meeting daily activity goals.
• Ability to earn financial rewards for physical activities besides walking** and a new Participation target, offering additional ways to help enable UnitedHealthcare Motion enrollees to earn incentives for daily movement. Through a compatible wearable device, UnitedHealthcare Motion members will be able to devote at least 30 minutes to one of various alternative activities to meet the program’s daily Intensity target, including cycling, elliptical and swimming. Later in 2021, additional activities such as dancing, weightlifting and yoga may qualify. Through the new Participation target, UnitedHealthcare Motion enrollees may earn more than $90 per year, offering what may be a more accessible daily walking target of 2,500 total steps. For UnitedHealthcare Motion members new to the program or starting to ramp up activity, the 2,500-step Participation target is designed to offer a more accessible and achievable walking goal.

Since inception, UnitedHealthcare Motion participants have collectively walked over 511 billion steps and earned more than $60 million in rewards. The program provides eligible participants access to smartwatches and activity trackers at no additional cost and as buy-up options, including state-of-the-art devices such as Apple Watch.

In addition to the Participation target, UnitedHealthcare Motion provides eligible participants access to wearables that may help them earn over $1,000 per year by meeting certain daily FIT activity goals***, including:

• Frequency: complete 300 steps within five minutes, six times per day, at least an hour apart.
• Intensity: complete 3,000 steps within 30 minutes or complete another eligible physical activity for at least 30 minutes continuously.
• Tenacity: complete 10,000 total steps each day.

“The UnitedHealthcare Motion enhancements and access to Apple Fitness+ are part of our broader effort to provide people with digital resources and financial incentives that may help them take charge of their health and better manage chronic conditions,” said Rebecca Madsen, chief consumer officer, UnitedHealthcare. “With many Americans turning to new forms of exercise options to help maintain or improve their fitness, providing access to Apple Fitness+ for UnitedHealthcare Motion enrollees may provide an important resource to help people get or stay active.”

The program’s FIT targets are set in the UnitedHealthcare Motion app, which integrates with Apple Watch to track daily goals.

Each year, UnitedHealthcare invests more than $3 billion in data, technology and innovation, integrating human support, advanced data analytics and new collaborations to help improve the quality and affordability of health care. Millions of UnitedHealthcare members have access to various digital resources and therapeutics, including technology-enabled initiatives such as Level2™.

*Existing Apple Watch owners will get six months at no additional cost; new Apple Watch purchases will get eight months at no additional cost. UnitedHealthcare Motion members must activate the offer between Jan. 1 and June 30.

**The use of a compatible device may be required to earn alternative activity incentives.

***Financial incentives may be less due to limits under applicable laws.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.

Apple, Apple Watch and Apple Fitness+ are registered and unregistered trademarks of Apple Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201214005804/en/

FAQ

What enhancements has UnitedHealthcare made to its Motion program?

UnitedHealthcare has introduced six months of free access to Apple Fitness+ and expanded the range of activities eligible for financial rewards.

When do the changes to the UnitedHealthcare Motion program take effect?

The enhancements to the UnitedHealthcare Motion program begin on January 1.

How much can UnitedHealthcare Motion participants earn annually?

Participants can earn over $1,000 per year by meeting specified daily activity targets.

What is the purpose of the UnitedHealthcare Motion program?

The program aims to encourage members to engage in physical activities and improve their health through financial incentives.

How many steps have UnitedHealthcare Motion participants walked since the program's inception?

Participants have collectively walked over 511 billion steps since the program began.