In what could be a game-changing move in healthcare, Apple and Humana, one of the biggest health insurance companies in the country, have sealed a partnership.
Albeit silently, according to a Forbes article published on October 1, 2014, both companies have been working closely together over the past several months, especially for HealthKit, Apple's new platform that will make healthcare big data collection much easier and quicker for providers, insurers, and wearable users.
While Apple provides the technical framework for data aggregation, Humana monitors these data that will then be fed to employers or used to help identify the cost for insurance coverage, making the company the first to use real-time calorie and tracking information for their business model.
Although Humana runs its own health tracking app called HumanaVitality, it doesn't have the same robustness or ecosystem that Apple provides. In fact, it receives many negative reviews even if it's been downloaded over 35,000 times. The company hopes that its app can be a good complement to the data Apple Health can collect and thus offer a better tracking system, engagement, and appropriate healthcare coverage costs for Vitality users.
Humana, moreover, wants to emphasize that the introduction of apps for fitness tracking isn't to discriminate potential and existing healthcare insurance clients. After all, the law no longer allows discrimination based on pre-existing conditions. Rather, it's a way of helping users become more accountable with their own health, a statement that's affirmed by a survey among almost a thousand Americans that say more than 55% are willing to use a fitness wearable if it helps decrease their insurance costs.
Other healthcare providers and insurers are also trying to create an app around Apple's Healthkit. Meanwhile, the tech company has its own wearable called the Apple Watch, which monitors calories, fitness, and workouts. It's currently sold at a price of $350.