Can a fitness tracker save you money on health insurance?

Sigrid Forberg
·3 min read
Can a fitness tracker save you money on health insurance?
Can a fitness tracker save you money on health insurance?

Before you pull the trigger on buying an activity tracker, you may want to see if your insurance company can give you a sweet deal.

Call it the Fitbit insurance discount: A number of health and life plans offer programs that include such discounts, as well as a number of other health and wellness perks. Some plans even come with a free device.

While it sounds like you’re coming out ahead on this, these programs help insurance companies too. Increased activity promotes heart health and diabetes prevention, which reduces insurers’ risk in the long run.

So what’s out there for consumers? Read on to find out. And remember that the best way to track down health-insurance discounts is to do your research. With a free quote service, you can easily compare features and prices for health insurance policies that fit your specific needs.

What companies offer Fitbit insurance discounts?

The below companies all have health and wellness programs that offer you discounts on Fitbits, Apple Watches, Garmin devices and other lifestyle swag.

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Happy older couple sits across table from man in office
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock

Blue Cross Blue Shield, one of America’s largest health insurance providers, partners with Fitbit to offer special rates on devices for its members.

The initiative is part of the Blue365 health and wellness program and offers policyholders 20% off a device, along with free shipping.

For group insurance policies through employers, Blue365 also offers access to Fitbit devices in bulk or at a subsidized price.

The program also offers special rates or discounts on other fitness and lifestyle products to help promote health and wellness.

Aetna

woman outside in sportswear looking at smartwatch
blackzheep / Shutterstock

Aetna offers a health program called Attain by Aetna, which is a smartphone app that can earn its members rewards. You can even earn enough points through the app to exchange for an Apple Watch.

If you already have a Fitbit or Apple Watch, you can redeem your points for gift cards instead.

Attain works by assigning you daily “active calorie targets,” which you can earn through activities like yoga, swimming, running or even just walking. Every week, you’ll have a set number of days you have to meet your target. If you meet your weekly target, you’ll be rewarded with points.

Other healthy actions like making doctor’s appointments can earn you points too.

You can also program the app to notify you to fill prescriptions before they run out, get flu shots during flu season or make a doctor’s appointment if it’s been a while.

Cigna

The black Garmin watch is suitable for men in every occasion
pipat pakkati / Shutterstock

Cigna’s Healthy Rewards program offers you discounts on Garmin activity trackers and smartwatches.

Healthy Rewards also offers discounts and promotions on weight-management programs, Lasik vision correction, alternative medicine and vitamins and health and wellness product discounts.

Kaiser Permanente

woman running on a trail, looking at smart watch, bent over
Maridav / Shutterstock

Kaiser Permanente offers discounts through its ChooseHealthy program on activity trackers, including Fitbit and Garmin devices.

You can also get reduced rates on workout apparel and exercise equipment through the ChooseHealthy program. But Kaiser Permanente specifies that this program is not currently open to Medicaid members.

John Hancock

Amazon Halo Fitness Tracker sitting on office desk
Spindly / Shutterstock

John Hancock offers a specialized life insurance program called John Hancock Vitality, which offers users free Amazon Halo or Fitbit devices with a three-year commitment to the program.

The Amazon Halo service is powered by a mobile app that assesses the wearer’s habits. From your wrist, it will measure your activity, heart rate and sleep metrics to help encourage healthier habits through the Halo app.

You can also sync your Halo profile with your Vitality account to earn Vitality Points for a variety of healthy actions.

Vitality users can also earn Amazon gift cards or Prime memberships through their usage of the device.

When it comes to life insurance, the best way to find deals, discounts and the best overall plan for your needs is to shop around. But shopping for life insurance can be daunting and stressful, so luckily there are feee online tools that can compare policies and prices for you, quickly and painlessly.

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