Apple Watch and Co This AOK health insurance pays

Pedometer, heart rate monitor, Apple Watch: With so-called wearables, many people control their athletic fitness. Futurologists see a combination of control and subsidy. Because the first health insurance wants to provide 50 euros for an Apple Watch.

AOK Nordost: Grant for the purchase of an Apple Watch
Technical and electronic aids in sports and improving health are becoming increasingly popular. The Apple Watch also offers opportunities that can be used to promote health. The AOK Nordost now grants its insured a subsidy when they buy the small device.

Health insurance fund Apple Watch. Image: guteksk7 - fotolia

Health apps and technical gadgets are in vogue
Thousands of fitness and health apps and technical gadgets are now on the market. Fitness apps measure heart rate and metabolism, and small electronic devices can count, for example, the number of steps taken. You can now analyze your own urine and daily alcohol consumption or keep the stress level under control by smartphone. Many of the alleged aids are rather gimmicks, but there are also positive exceptions. For example, Central Krankenversicherung in Cologne has been equipping Type 2 diabetes patients with an iPhone, a pedometer and a blood glucose meter for a while to better monitor the disease. Also the AOK northeast became active now. It subsidizes the purchase of an Apple Watch.

Up to 50 euros grant
As the Berlin newspaper "Tagesspiegel" reports, the AOK has been working for a long time on an image change away from the health insurance, to the health insurance. Other funds also practice this in a similar way. For example, investments are being made in the health of health insurance fund members, for example through incentives for non-smoking therapies or for participation in fitness programs. And also with grants for fitness trackers, as now granted by the AOK Nordost. As the newspaper writes, the fund grants its members up to 50 euros in every second calendar year. Since the Apple Watch also has the necessary functions, such as a heart rate monitor, the cash grant is also available for Apple's newest technology gadget. This confirmed the AOK Northeast the "Tagesspiegel". Previously, the magazine "Chip" had reported about it.

No grants for smartphones
This grant is included in the health program of the health fund, the so-called "AOK Health Account". The cash register, which claims different things to the devices, said, "This grant is granted for all devices that record heart rate, distance, altitude, speed, calories burned, etc., for fitness bracelets and smartwatches - including AppleWatch." Therefore, for example, a simple pedometer that determines no information other than the number of steps will not be subsidized. Although this would also apply to smartphones in combination with a Bluetooth heart rate monitor, they are excluded from this rule. Apps that collect data from the categories mentioned above, however, are subsidized by the AOK Northeast. And with up to 20 euros per calendar year. "This applies to apps, online fitness portals and other eHealth offers." According to the information, a coupling of subsidy and disclosure of the data is not. This would certainly be a reason for many people not to accept such offers. Recently, two-thirds of smartphone users in a survey said that they are critical of the distribution of health data.

Many amateur athletes use high-tech equipment
For Apple, the subsidy from the German health insurance is certainly quite convenient. According to a report by the "Wall Street Journal", the previous sales of the Apple Watch left a lot to be desired. Apple has not yet released figures on sales of the smartwatch. For a long time, new technologies and apps for amateur athletes have been in vogue. According to a recent representative survey by IT industry association Bitkom, six out of ten recreational athletes use high-tech equipment during training or competition. Smartphone, heart rate monitor and step and calorie counter are therefore the most popular sports companions. But also MP3 players, action cameras, conventional mobile phones and smart watches are used, reports the "Tagesspiegel". Timm Lutter from Bitkom explained: "Technical devices can motivate and help to optimize the training. That's why they are now as natural for many recreational athletes as the right running shoe or bicycle helmet. "(Ad)