The insurer has said that they will be willing to cover a “significant portion” of the price of the device.
Consumers who have had their eye on a health and fitness tracker may be interested in the Apple Watch subsidy at Aetna. The insurance company has announced that it will be offering to pay for a portion of the price of the device when it will be used for keeping track of health data.
That said, it is important to note that not all customers qualify for the subsidized smartwatch.
Moreover, Aetna has yet to announced how much the Apple Watch subsidy will be. That said, it specifically stated that it will be covering “a significant portion” of the gadget’s price tag. Moreover, it will also be offering a program that will allow its customers to pay for the rest of the cost of the smartwatch – that not covered by the subsidy – through monthly payroll deductions.
This will make Aetna the first insurance company to offer this type of Apple Watch subsidy opportunity.
The offer for the health tracker device subsidy will launch with the opening of the open enrollment season. When the insurance exchanges start selling health plans once again, Aetna will be doing so along with subsidized smartwatches.
A spokesperson from Aetna pointed out that there will not be any health requirements to qualify for a device subsidy. It also stated that employers with Aetna insurance benefit plans can also choose to offer the Apple Watch program to their own workers.
At the moment, the original generation of Apple Watches, the Series 1, start at $269, depending on the model and strap choice. The latest generation, the Apple Watch Series 2, starts at $369 for the model with the aluminum body. There is also a stainless steel Series 2 for $549.
Beyond the Apple Watch subsidy, Aetna is also developing a number of different health apps for smartphones and tablets based on iOS. There will be both iPhone and iPad applications launched for customers to use to track their health. At the moment, those applications are slated to launch in early 2017.
