If you’re looking to improve your health in 2022, buying a fitness tracker or smartwatch is a big step in the right direction. But for some, spending hundreds of dollars on a proper fitness or health tracker is not economically feasible. For others, buying it isn’t enough to get you out. In either case, try getting a free fitness smartwatch from your healthcare provider. You can avoid healthy price tags and get strict incentives to move away from insurance companies and “pay” free trackers. Let’s start here.
UnitedHealthcare Motion
United Healthcare Motion App (Opens in a new tab) You and your spouse can “earn annual monetary rewards such as out-of-pocket, prescription, and deductible” based on achieving “FIT” goals such as completing 10,000 steps a day. This will be about $ 3-4 per day. This will be added if you remain active. In addition, you’ll receive a free Fitbit Charge 5 or Apple Watch, depending on your membership. The new device is “every two plans a year” and there are also free paid memberships like Apple Fitness +.
Achieved in Etna
Achieved by Aetna if employer has Aetna insurance (Opens in a new tab) Assuming you are an Apple user, the app will be your new best friend. Through this app, you can pay taxes and activation fees and receive a free Apple Watch by email. Then you need to pay off your watch by achieving your daily and weekly goals based on your weight, gender, and personal health history. You can also complete “healthy behavior” such as getting a vaccination to help you pay for your watch. If you don’t reach your goal, you’ll need to send a monthly payment, so encourage it to work.
John Hancock Vitality Plus
With this plan, you will receive free Amazon Halo and a 3-year Halo Fitness membership. Earn vitality points for various trainings and meditations you’ve completed, and earn additional points as you complete more steps. Even achieving a good Halo sleep score can earn you points that will bring you back money with your insurance. Unfortunately, the new Amazon Halo View isn’t available and you’ll need to submit your health data in exchange for a discount. If you don’t care about it, it’s a big deal.
You can instead receive your Apple Watch for a small fee, but you’ll need to meet enough Vitality goals to avoid paying a monthly fee, like the Attain by Aetna plan.
Active & Fit
Some health insurance companies like Kaiser are affiliated with Active & Fit (Opens in a new tab) Send your eligible members a “Stay Fit Kit” that includes a free Fitbit or Garmin tracker promo code and other fitness accessories such as dumbbells, resistance bands, and yoga mats. You’ll have to pay an annual fee in advance to access eligible gym locations, but you can get your money back by training for 30 minutes each for 45 days a year.
Check with your insurance company for discounts
If you have insurance that is not part of your free smartwatch or free fitness tracker program, unfortunately you will have to pay for the fitness tracker. However, some insurance companies may offer you a discounted price. For example, Kaiser and Blue Cross Blue Shield both offer 20% off most of the best Fitbit trackers available, and Cigna Healthy Rewards offers discounts on Garmin smartwatches.
Your other option is to look for a health insurance program that will refund you for tracked training. Buy your smartwatch at a discounted price and earn cashback or insurance credits until it’s “free”.
Keep an eye out for bundled deals and giveaways
If you pre-ordered the Galaxy Z Fold 3 last year, Samsung gave you a Galaxy Watch 4. Occasionally, I’ve seen carriers present smartwatches as part of a new smartphone bundle transaction. You can’t call these “free” deals because they can be quite expensive, but if you’re planning to buy a new smartphone anyway, getting a free watch at a bargain isn’t it. It doesn’t hurt.
Otherwise, you should accept to spend at least some money on your fitness device. Some of the best fitness trackers available today, like the Xiaomi Mi Band 6, start fitness training and health tracking right away for just $ 50. For some people, buying a cheap and reliable tracker will be much less burdensome than jumping over an insurance company’s hoop over the next two years.
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Xiaomi Mi Band 6
With a bright 1.5-inch AMOLED screen, 5ATM water resistance, 1 week battery life, HRM and blood oxygen tracking, no monthly subscription fees, and plenty of tracked activity, the Mi Band 6 is an excellent budget option.