Dive Brief:
- UnitedHealthcare and Walgreens have come together to integrate UnitedHealthcare's Reward Me program with Walgreens Balance Rewards for healthy choices with the goal of creating incentives for people to adopt healthy behaviors.
- In this pilot program, UnitedHealthcare enrollees in Arizona and Illinois will be able to access the program through the Reward Me tab on UnitedHealthcare's mobile app, Health4Me, and will be able to earn Walgreens Balance Rewards loyalty points by engaging in healthy behaviors such as exercising, eating fruits and vegetables, and getting enough sleep.
- Participants will then be able to redeem their points to save on purchases at Walgreens, whether shopping in-store or online.
Dive Insight:
The companies tout the collaboration as encouraging simple "micro-habits" that can lead members toward healthier lives. The announcement states that participating health plans will have the ability to define what activities will earn points for their members, and suggests the program will help health plans increase patient engagement, as well as meet HEDIS and 5 Star Medicare quality goals.
The joint program provides a high-profile example of the industry trend toward using financial rewards to influence plan members toward healthier behaviors. The announcement points to data from the National Business Group on Health, which found that the use of employer wellness incentives has doubled since 2009, with employees earning an average of $594 per year.
"We have seen that rewarding healthy behavior can help people make sustained, positive behavior change," UnitedHealthcare's Dr. Vidya Raman-Tangella said in a prepared statement. "Our collaboration with Walgreens will play an important role in encouraging consumers to take a more active role in their overall health and well-being, and realizing the promise of a truly activated, engaged and supported consumer."