Apple is in talks with a few unnamed Medicare Advantage plans to offer the Apple Watch at a discount for seniors.
New Apple Watch features
The new Apple Watch 4 features falls detection and a built in ECG monitor that can detect atrial fibrillation. Both of these features can be very beneficial to seniors and save them from costly and traumatic hospital visits.
Apple is now in talks with private Medicare plans to make the Apple Watch more affordable for seniors who wish to use it as a health tracker and heart monitor. The starting cost of an Apple 3 is $279. The Apple watch 4 starts at $399.
Past deals with insurance companies
In the past, Apple has made deals with UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and John Hancock for subsidizing Apple Watch costs. But this is the first time the dealings have included Medicare plans.
The new fall detection and cardiac arrhythmia monitoring features of the Apple Watch are especially beneficial to people over 65, many of whom have Medicare Advantage plans.
Healthcare in the future for Apple
Apple is emerging in the healthcare field as a company offering life-saving health benefits that could change the face of medicine. The company is trying to position itself as an “intelligent health guardian” and a major contributor to healthcare in the future.
