Nancy Sinatra – These Boots Are Made for Walkin’
New York health insurer Oscar to pay members who walk more
By Caroline Humer
Mon Dec 8, 2014 2:10pm EST
(Reuters) – Oscar Health Insurance, which sells health plans on Obamacare exchanges in New York and New Jersey, said it will pay members up to $240 per year in Amazon.com Inc gift cards for the thousands of steps they take each day.
The plan is the latest effort by venture-capital backed Oscar to distinguish itself in the individual insurance market, where it is rare to offer members incentives to improve their health. Employer-sponsored health plans regularly use incentives such as lower premiums or higher contributions as part of their “workplace wellness” programs.
Oscar made its debut in New York last year with the rollout of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and now has 17,000 members. The national healthcare law bars insurers in the individual market from discriminating against consumers on the basis of their relative health or age, and provides subsidies for low-income households to buy coverage.
https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/08/us-usa-healthcare-oscar-idUSKBN0JM25F20141208