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New bonus technician health insurance TK wants to finance fitness bracelets
Technical and electronic aids in sports are becoming increasingly popular. Thousands of fitness and health apps and technical gadgets are now on the market. The Techniker Krankenkasse is now considering integrating the use of fitness bracelets into its bonus program.
Technical aids in sports are trendy
They count steps, track movements, record sleep phases, measure heart rate, calculate calorie consumption: fitness bracelets or activity trackers - so-called wearables - are in fashion. Hobby athletes rely on apps, gadgets or fitness tracker to measure, for example, the distance traveled or the calories consumed.
More and more people are using sports apps and technical gadgets. Techniker Krankenkasse is now considering integrating fitness trackers into its bonus program. (Image: Syda Productions / fotolia.com) Cashiers pay grants
Meanwhile, some devices are also co-financed by health insurance companies. Last summer, for example, the AOK health insurance fund was the first in Germany to announce that it grants such a subsidy to its insured. Shortly afterwards followed the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), which announced to pay its members 250 euros for an Apple Watch. Now it has become known that TK is considering integrating the use of fitness bracelets into its bonus program.
Train healthy
In the current motion study of the health insurance found that two out of three athletes with the digital training partner, especially their progress and training successes want to measure and document. "63 percent monitor their body functions (especially the heart rate). Other motives are the desire to be able to do sports individually and the certainty of healthy exercise, "write the authors.
One in seven adults uses a fitness tracker
TK boss Jens Baas told the German press agency: "Our current movement study shows that every seventh adult in Germany uses a fitness tracker. Half of them are confident that they will be able to do more with it. "It is said that some of the TC customers see a positive effect on their personal health. "That's why I can easily imagine that fitness trackers will also play a role in our bonus program in the future."
The TK chief made clear in the agency message that the participation of the insured was in any case voluntary. "With risk assessment has nothing to do." The statutory health insurance - unlike the private - no risk assessment or assessment of their insured before. "Everyone is insured without regard to their person," says Baas.
Greens warn against erosion of the solidarity idea
The Greens have warned according to dpa from erosion of solidarity in health insurance through health apps. "Reductions in contributions by the back door for young and fit at the expense of elderly or chronically ill insured are deeply non-solid," said the health spokeswoman for the Green Group, Maria Klein-Schmeink, the news agency.
Baas said that the integration of such fitness trackers in the bonus system but nothing on the solidarity system on. "On the contrary, a solidarity community can only work if there are enough healthy people in it. That is why it is important to us not only to work for the medical care of the sick, but also to reward those who take care of their health, "says Baas.
Use data from fitness bracelets
The head of the TK suggested a few months ago that data from fitness bracelets should be included in the planned electronic patient record. Other funds were then open to the proposal, but also expressed doubts, inter alia, because the legislature would probably not participate. (Ad)