Apple negotiates the refunding of its watch by mutual insurance companies
In this context, the new Apple Watch series 4 offers an electrocardiogram (ECG) function, capable of identifying heart problems. Furthermore, Apple has partnered with the medical specialist Johnson and Johnson to study the correlation between heart and brain problems, extending the detection abilities of its watch to the risk of stroke.
Negotiations with insurers are limited to people over 65 living in the United States, the only area concerned by the ECG service.
According to CNBC, Apple would have contacted three mutual insurers associated with Medicare health insurance programs for seniors and for the disabled.
Access to Medicare would allow Apple to reach a population of 19 million seniors. Partnerships with health insurers not operating under Medicare could also follow.
For its new service, Apple has only the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. The group is awaiting the green light from regulatory authorities in other countries in order to activate its medical device.
To the Apple firm, the field of connected health represents a future stake and a sector in which it wishes to impose itself.
It thus announced an upcoming update allowing to display in the "Apple Health" application of iPhones, medical records managed by different patients’ health-care institutions.
Apple has partnered with 12 hospitals and clinics to provide its users with direct control over their health data.
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