Oscar A Health Insurer to Pay Members for Walking

Oscar Health Insurance, which sells health plans on Obamacare exchanges in New York and New Jersey, will pay members $240 per year in Amazon gift cards for the thousands of steps they take each day.

It is very rare to where an insurer offers incentives to members to improve their health. Oscar is a company backed by Venture capital, usually employer sponsored health plans use incentives to offer incentives to employees in their workplace wellness plans.

Health Insurance More Affordable Under Obamacare
Americans are surprised that health premiums are not as expensive with the subsidies, as this was unexpected by those skeptical about Obamacare.

Oscar made its debut in New York last year with the Affordable Care Act. 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.

This fall, it tried to encourage members to get flu shots by offering Amazon gift cards worth $20.

In 2015 they plan to initiate a new walking program, which can be tracked by wearing a watch designed to track member’s steps by Misfit. The information will be tracked and sent to an Oscar software application, which has set each day’s goals. This program will also work with Healthkit which is an Apple Inc’s health application.

Pick the Right Health Insurance Plan
Though difficult, it is best to study all the features and benefits of a health care policy as you have taken the cover to secure your future from unforeseen calamities.

Depending on the member’s exercise level goals begin at 2,000 steps a day and max out at 10,000 steps.

The concept evolved on research, which showed that walking 6,000 steps a day will definitely improve health noticeably.

High Deductibles With Private Health Insurance Make Americans Forgo Treatment
A health insurance cover does not seem to end insurance problems as the high deductibles make insurance still very expensive.

Some members should see improved health early on, while other effects would take longer to materialize, he said.
"Nobody has to be in training to achieve the goal, but at the same time we want to stretch you a little more out of the daily routine and make you walk more than you normally would," Schlosser added.

Reference: Reuters

Children�s Health Insurance Program
It is a very big responsibility of covering children with health care in the low income strata - which CHIP is trying to do.

Source-Medindia