Taking a chance on new technology is risky, so if you’ve been putting off the idea of buying a smartwatch it’s totally understandable. Health insurance companies, on the other hand, are already convinced that wearables are making people healthier (and less expensive for them), and one major provider is so confident that it’s willing to help you buy an Apple Watch.
Aetna, one of the largest health insurers in the United States with roughly 50,000 employees, is going all-in on Apple‘s devices. The company has struck a deal with Apple to provide Apple Watches free of charge to every single one of its employees, as well as iPhone and iPad apps for its subscribers, but that’s not all: Aetna will also cover a chunk of the cost of the Apple Watch for any customer who wants one.
Aetna announced the program in a press release:
Beginning this fall, Aetna will make Apple Watch available to select large employers and individual customers during open enrollment season, and Aetna will be the first major health care company to subsidize a significant portion of the Apple Watch cost, offering monthly payroll deductions to make covering the remaining cost easier.
If you have an individual Aenta health insurance plan, you’ll be able to work directly with the company to hash out the details of the deal—talking to your Aetna agent is going to be your first step in that process—but if you’re part of an Aetna group plan through your employer, it sounds like you’re going to need your HR department to strike up the conversation on their end.
It’s also worth noting that Aetna doesn’t explicitly say what type of Apple Watch is covered under the program—the safe bet would be the budget-friendly base model—or exactly how much of the cost will be subsidized.
H/T Ars Technica
