Humana's Go365 adds new wellness tools from FitBit and others

Go365 is Humana's wellness and rewards program that reaches up to 5 million people

There has been a noticeable shift in the conversation around healthcare in recent years, with less of a focus on only taking care of people when they get sick and more of a focus on preventive care and helping people stay healthy. That not only benefits the patient, who will be less likely to need high cost treatment, but it also costs the system less to take care of them.

The focus on wellness hasn't only come from the individual, but also from employers, who have begun offering worker wellness plans, and even from insurance companies, who are offering these services to their members.  

Earlier this week Humana announced a slew of new partnerships for Go365, its wellness and rewards program, giving its member access to tools from four companies: FitBit, DailyBurn, MindSciences and Noom. The idea, the company wrote, is to help members with "managing physical, emotional and social health and wellness."

"The recently added health coaching tools offer an even broader range of personalized options for Go365 members to take action in pursuing a healthier lifestyle. We recognize that everyone is different, so we offer coaching tools for various concerns, such as weight management, diabetes, fitness, nutrition, and smoking cessation," Jeff Reid, senior vice president of Humana Wellness Solutions, explained to VatorNews.

"In addition to choosing from topics, members can choose the length and duration of their coaching experience so they can make a commitment that they feel comfortable with."

Launched in 2016, Go365 encourages members to make healthy lifestyle choices by rewarding them for completing certain healthy activities. Members earn what are called Go365 Bucks, which can be then cashed in towards rewards such as gift cards for retailers like Amazon, Target and Best Buy, movie tickets and fitness gear. Members can also donate the Go365 Bucks they earn to specific charities.

"Go365 educates a member on how to stay healthy or to get healthier, while rewarding them for taking action and getting results. Members can get started on their wellness journey by taking a Health Assessment and/or biometric screening, which establish their current state of well-being and produce personalized Recommended Activities to improve or maintain health. Members can then get rewarded with Points for tracking and logging healthy activities like walking the dog, going to the gym, getting a flu shot, or keeping a sleep diary," Reid explained.  

Members can access the program in one of two ways, either through their employer, who can purchase Go365 as a program on its own, or as part of a medical insurance offering. Right now, Go365 has more than two million commercial members who are part of employer groups.

"Whether taking part in a workplace fitness challenge, tracking activity earned as a group, sharing knowledge about healthy eating or participating in an employer-sponsored event, commercial members and their employers are showing how wellness works at work," Reid explained. 

It is also currently available to more than three million Medicare members, who can receive guidance on healthier living at a local Humana Guidance Center.

New partnerships

While Humana has been partnering with FitBit since 2013, first by offering FitBits to its members, and then with Humana selecting Fitbit Care as a preferred health coaching solution for its employer group segment in 2018, this is the first time Humana is partnering with DailyBurn, Mindsciences, and Noom.

Daily Burn is a mobile app that provides its members with video and audio workouts, while MindSciences offers video programs that use mindfulness learning techniques to overcome such problems as overeating, anxiety and smoking. Noom is a program that uses psychology and small goals to help people lose weight. 

"These solutions offer easy accessibility, a streamlined experience, flexibility, choice and control in how members want to interact with these resources. These solutions will also assist in removing barriers and obstacles to getting started on a healthier journey. These digital, app-based resources are also great for people on the go, so members are able to track their progress and see results anytime, anywhere. Go365 strives to offer a user-friendly experience and to empower members with choice and self-direction, making these new services a great fit for our program," said Reid.

"Our ultimate goal is to see our members engaging with these options in direct response to their own personal health and well-being goals. Our aim is to provide an engaging member experience and support changing behaviors that help members lead more fulfilling lives."