The dawn of wearable tech in health insurance: enhancing risk assessment and customer engagement

The integration of technology in the health insurance sector has undeniably accelerated over the past few years. Among these advancements, wearable tech stands out. 

With devices ranging from fitness trackers to smartwatches, wearable tech offers profound insights into an individual's health. In fact, a study by Munich Re found that “steps per day can effectively segment mortality risk even after controlling for age, gender, smoking status, and various health indicators”. 

Several insurance companies are already incentivizing their customers to use wearables:

• John Hancock Vitality: John Hancock Vitality offers a rewards program that gives policyholders discounts on premiums and other benefits for tracking their health with wearable devices.
• UnitedHealthcare Motion: UnitedHealthcare Motion is a program that rewards policyholders for completing fitness challenges tracked with wearable devices.
• Cigna Rewards: Cigna Rewards is a program that gives policyholders points for completing health-related activities, including tracking their steps with wearable devices.

This rapidly growing influence is reshaping how the industry approaches risk assessment and customer engagement, promising a more personalized touch to health insurance. This article explores the rise of wearable tech in the health insurance domain, highlighting its transformative impact on risk assessment and customer interaction.

What is wearable tech? 

Wearable technology refers to electronic devices designed to be worn on the body, either as an accessory or as a part of the material used in clothing. These devices are equipped with sensors to collect data and can connect with other devices or networks, typically via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Several types of wearable tech have made their way into the health insurance sector, each serving a distinct purpose:

• Fitness trackers: Perhaps the most commonly recognized form of wearable tech, fitness trackers like Fitbit or Xiaomi's Mi Band measure and record physical activities. They track steps, distance walked, calories burned, and even sleep patterns. For insurance providers, this data can be indicative of a policyholder's general health and activity levels.
• Smartwatches: Devices like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch not only offer time-keeping but also come packed with health-related features. Heart rate monitoring, electrocardiogram (ECG) readings, oxygen saturation levels, and even fall detection are among their capabilities. These metrics are valuable for insurance companies to assess the overall health and potential risks associated with an individual.
• Wearable ECG monitors: For those with cardiac concerns, wearable ECG monitors like the Zio patch offer continuous heart monitoring. By providing detailed cardiac data, these devices assist insurers in evaluating the cardiovascular risks of policyholders.
• Smart glasses: While less common in the health insurance context, devices like Google Glass or Vuzix Blade have potential in telemedicine. They can facilitate virtual health check-ups or consultations, offering a new dimension of health monitoring for insurance considerations.
• Wearable blood pressure monitors: Devices such as Omron's HeartGuide smartwatch can measure blood pressure on the go. Continuous monitoring can be crucial for those with hypertension, providing insurance companies with detailed insights into a policyholder's cardiovascular health.

Today, the health insurance sector leverages these wearable tech devices in multiple ways. By analyzing the data collected, insurers can tailor insurance packages based on an individual's health metrics, offer incentives for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and even predict potential health issues before they become critical. 

This proactive approach not only ensures a more accurate risk assessment but also fosters a stronger relationship between the insurer and the insured, emphasizing mutual well-being and trust.

Role of wearable tech in health insurance

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• Customer Engagement
• Offering incentives and discounts for users based on health metrics.
• Encouraging a healthy lifestyle and regular health monitoring among policyholders.
• Feedback mechanisms for users based on their health data.

Wearable technology has rapidly carved out a significant niche within the health insurance industry, serving dual roles in both risk assessment and customer engagement. Let's explore these roles in depth.

Risk assessment

Personalized insurance packages

Wearable devices continuously collect real-time data on various health metrics, from heart rate to physical activity levels. Insurers can use this wealth of data to understand an individual's health profile in detail. Based on the insights derived, they can tailor insurance packages that align perfectly with the individual's health risks and needs, ensuring accurate premium pricing and coverage.

Predicting health risks

Continuous health monitoring via wearables offers a unique advantage: The ability to forecast potential health issues before they escalate. For instance, irregular heart rate patterns might suggest an elevated risk of cardiovascular events. By having access to such data, insurers can provide timely alerts or recommendations to policyholders, ensuring early intervention and potentially mitigating severe health concerns.

Customer engagement

Incentives based on health metrics

To encourage healthy habits among policyholders, some insurance providers offer financial incentives, like premium discounts, for achieving certain health benchmarks. For example, walking a set number of steps daily might earn a discount, or maintaining a consistent sleep pattern could lead to a bonus.

Promotion of a healthy lifestyle

Beyond monetary incentives, wearables act as a daily reminder for individuals to monitor and maintain their health. The interactive features of these devices, such as goal-setting or challenges, align well with insurance providers' emphasis on fostering healthier lifestyles among their customers.

Feedback mechanisms

Modern wearables often come with apps or platforms that provide users with insights into their health metrics. Insurance companies can integrate with these platforms to offer feedback based on the collected data. For instance, if a policyholder's activity levels drop significantly, the insurer might send a gentle reminder or provide resources to help get them back on track.

Benefits of wearable tech integration in health insurance

The integration of wearable technology into the health insurance sector has resulted in a variety of benefits, not just for insurers but also for policyholders. According to Forbes, IOT-connected devices have helped some insurance companies lower their premiums by as much as 25%.

Reduced fraudulent claims

One of the major challenges in the insurance industry has been the prevalence of fraudulent claims. However, technological advancements like real-time health data monitoring from wearable devices are changing the game. These devices provide insurers with a continuous stream of accurate health data, significantly reducing the scope for misinformation or falsified claims. By leveraging this technology, we're not just ensuring that claims are genuine, but also basing them on tangible, real-time data.

Accurate risk assessment

As mentioned above, wearables provide a detailed snapshot of an individual's health status and habits, aiding insurers in making highly informed risk assessments. Instead of relying on periodic health check-ups or self-reported data, they can use the continuous data from wearables to tailor insurance packages that truly reflect an individual's health profile, leading to more accurate pricing and coverage.

Enhanced customer trust and engagement

The proactive approach of wearable tech, such as sending alerts for potential health risks or providing feedback on daily activity levels, shows customers that their insurer is genuinely invested in their well-being. This not only fosters trust but also enhances engagement, as policyholders feel they are in a collaborative partnership with their insurer, focused on mutual health benefits.

Simplified policy processes

Wearable tech can streamline the insurance application and renewal processes. Instead of undergoing separate medical examinations or filling out extensive health questionnaires, the data from wearables can be used to expedite these processes. This not only reduces administrative hassles but also ensures that policy terms are based on the most up-to-date health information available.

Challenges and considerations

While the integration of wearable tech in health insurance offers a multitude of benefits, it’s not without its challenges and considerations. 

Privacy concerns

Wearables that constantly monitor health data can raise big privacy concerns. Policyholders might be wary of insurance companies having access to their day-to-day health metrics and activities. There's also the concern about how this data is stored, who else might have access to it, and the potential for data breaches. 

It's crucial for insurance providers to establish transparent data handling and privacy policies, ensuring that personal health data is treated with the utmost confidentiality and security.

Data accuracy

While wearable devices are increasingly sophisticated, they aren't infallible. There's potential for discrepancies in the data they capture. 

For instance, a fitness tracker might overestimate or underestimate steps, or a heart rate monitor might occasionally provide inaccurate readings. These inaccuracies, when used for insurance assessments, can lead to misjudged policies or premiums. Insurers need to be cognizant of these potential inaccuracies and may need to employ algorithms or verification processes to ensure data reliability.

Integration challenges

The wearable tech market is vast and varied, with numerous brands offering a plethora of devices, each with its own set of data formats and metrics. Integrating diverse data sets from different brands into a cohesive system for insurance assessment can be a daunting task. It demands robust data integration platforms and possibly standardized protocols to ensure smooth data assimilation.

Future prospects

As we move forward, the intersection of wearable technology and health insurance promises to yield even more revolutionary changes. Let's delve into some predictions and recommendations for the evolving landscape:

Predictive transformation

As wearable tech evolves, it's likely that we'll see devices capable of even more precise health metrics tracking, from monitoring blood sugar levels in real-time to identifying early signs of cognitive decline. 

With such advancements, the health insurance sector can move from a reactive stance to a predictive one, potentially forecasting health issues before they manifest. This shift could revolutionize insurance packages, focusing on preventative care and early interventions, ultimately benefiting both the insurer and the insured.

Undeniable importance

The digital age demands digital solutions, and in the context of health insurance, wearable tech is at the forefront. Its ability to provide continuous, real-time health data underscores its importance in modern health insurance practices. Relying solely on annual medical check-ups or self-reported data will become outdated, as wearable tech offers a more comprehensive and current view of an individual's health.

Leveraging integration platforms

Given the complex landscape of data integration involved in leveraging wearable tech, it’s important for insurance providers to utilize platforms that facilitate seamless integration. Platforms like EasySend can play a pivotal role here, aiding insurance companies in easily integrating diverse data sets from various wearable tech devices. These platforms not only streamline the integration process but also offer tools to design and launch digital products swiftly, ensuring a smoother, more intuitive insurance journey for policyholders.

In conclusion, the future of health insurance is undeniably intertwined with the advancements of wearable tech. As technology progresses, so will the ways in which insurance providers assess, engage, and cater to their clientele. Embracing this future and the tools that facilitate it, like EasySend, is not just a wise move—it's an inevitable one.