Fitbit and Humana expand strategic partnership
This post was originally published on the Fitbit press site. It has been adapted from its original format.
Fitbit, the leading global wearables brand, and Humana Inc., a leading health and well-being company, are expanding their partnership to help members adopt and implement healthy behaviors to help prevent and manage chronic conditions. Humana has selected Fitbit Care as a preferred health coaching solution for Humana’s employer group segment. Through this partnership, more than 5 million Humana members will have the potential to access Fitbit wellness solutions or health coaching. Fitbit Care is a connected health platform that maximizes health outcomes across the spectrum of care, from wellness and prevention to condition management and complex care, by helping drive behavior change and improving care team collaboration.
Partners since 2013, Fitbit and Humana’s decision to expand their partnership reflects the companies’ continued commitment to driving healthy behavior change and reducing the occurrence of preventable chronic disease, such as diabetes and heart disease. The health coaching solution from Fitbit Care will provide Humana members across the U.S. with the support and guidance to help members make the lifestyle changes necessary to better manage chronic and complex diseases, while creating stronger connections between the participants and entire care team.
Humana serves members through a comprehensive range of wellness programs and capabilities, such as Go365 and the Humana Employee Assistance Program (EAP), to help employers control rising costs related to worker health, such as increased healthcare consumption and lost productivity. Fitbit Care is the latest integration that will serve to further guide individuals to make healthier decisions that can have long-term effects on the quality of their lives and help employers save on costs.
“With healthcare costs and rates of chronic disease increasing, there is a clear need for innovative tools and services to help people make the lifestyle and behavior changes necessary to reverse this trend,” said Adam Pellegrini, general manager, Fitbit Health Solutions. “For over a decade, Fitbit has empowered millions of people around the world to live healthier lives. Expanding our partnership with Humana allows us to accelerate our common goal of helping more people get and stay healthy, and I'm confident that together we can help drive better health outcomes.”
Personalized coaching for better health management
Launched today, Fitbit Care is a new platform that combines health coaching and virtual care, Fitbit’s innovative wearable devices and self-tracking and personalized digital interventions to deliver a healthcare experience that supports people wherever they are along their health journey.
The Fitbit Care health coaching solution is based on Fitbit’s 11 years of experience helping consumers make meaningful behavior changes and the clinically proven expertise of Twine Health, a coaching platform Fitbit acquired in early 2018. Coaches work with participants to create personalized care plans and connect with members through multiple channels that include in-app communications, phone and in-person meetings, giving people the flexibility to choose what works best with their lifestyle.
“Working with Fitbit, we have been able to provide our members with wearable devices, data and insights they can use to achieve their best health and wellness. By adding Fitbit Care’s new health coaching capabilities, we can offer even more personalized, meaningful support to our members who are focused on specific health goals, such as smoking cessation or weight loss, or the management or prevention of chronic conditions,” said Jeff Reid, Humana’s senior vice president of Wellness Solutions. “Fitbit’s intuitive technology and human coaches are powerful tools to engage and motivate members, creating more frequent, convenient touch-points that support our members beyond the walls of a doctor’s office.”
Go365 Brings Wellness to the Wrist
Fitbit and Humana also announced today the availability of the Humana Go365 clock face on Fitbit Versa and Fitbit Ionic devices, making members’ Go365 activity data accessible right from the wrist. Since 2013, members have used their Go365 Points to redeem more than 170,000 Fitbit devices to help them continue to manage their health. With the new clock face, members will be able to track their health stats, such as their daily and weekly step progress toward their goals, and update their Go365 Status directly on their device. This makes it easier than ever to stay accountable to their health and fitness goals.
Go365 is a personalized wellness rewards and incentives program that provides tools and support to help members lead healthier lives and employers reduce costs related to healthcare and lost productivity. In a 2015 study of Humana associates enrolled in Go365, researchers found that when comparing members who were actively engaged in the program over three years with those who were not as engaged, the highly engaged members had lower average health claim costs and absenteeism rates.
