Qualcomm Wearable
Qualcomm WearableUnitedHealth Group

Qualcomm and American health care provider UnitedHealthcare have teamed up to launch UnitedHealthcare Motion, a wellness programme that aims to incentivise good health.

Targeting workplaces with between 100 and 301 employees in select states in the U.S., the programme provides employees and their spouses wearable devices that keep track of the user's activities. Apart from measuring steps alone, the device also measures intensity and frequency of the walks and offers monetary rewards linked to targets assigned to each user.

The data is sent to the UnitedHealthcare Motion app through Qualcomm Life's 2net Mobile connectivity platform and based on targets achieved, users can earn Health Reimbursement Account credits that can total up to $1,460 per year, while employers can obtain premium savings based on the participants' combined results.

"We're excited to collaborate with UnitedHealthcare to power its connected care solutions, starting with the UnitedHealthcare Motion programme," said James Mault, M.D., F.A.C.S., vice president and chief medical officer of Qualcomm Life Inc.

"UnitedHealthcare's leadership in innovation and broad reach across the United States, combined with Qualcomm Life's medical-grade connectivity solutions, enables personalised, connected care to health care consumers nationwide," he added. 

With over 20 percent of Americans owning wearable devices, this joint initiative between Qualcomm and UnitedHealthcare seeks to provide connected healthcare solutions. "Employees can improve their health by walking each day and earn financial rewards at the same time, using secure technology that is simple, intuitive and convenient," said Sam Ho, M.D., chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare.