Fitbit launches new wearables for employers, health plans

Employers are getting their very own Fitbit device.

The company released new wearable activity and sleep trackers exclusively for employers and health plans in January, Fitbit said late last week. The company unveiled a website for the new trackers, called Fitbit Inspire and Inspire HR, saying that it is available exclusively through Fitbit’s corporate, wellness, health plan and health systems partners.

The new Fitbits are currently being offered at employers including Bangor Savings Bank, Canadian Pacific Railroad and Teach for America.

While details on the new offering are sparse, the new tracker is swim-proof and, like Fitbit’s other offerings, logs physical activity and sleep. The Inspire HR has additional features including calorie counting, 24/7 heart rate tracking and sleep stages.

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“Wearable devices and self-tracking is a key component of our connected health platform, Fitbit Care, which also includes digital interventions and health coaching,” a spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement to EBN and EBA. “By delivering objective, real-time health and activity data, Inspire and Inspire HR can provide care teams a more comprehensive picture of a patient’s health for more personalized recommendations and care.”

The price for the tracker is not listed online, but a spokesperson says pricing is tailored by individual health plans. Some health plans will subsidize the cost of the device for members, or could allow them to use points from health and wellness programs to purchase devices, the company says. Retail pricing is not available.

Fitbit has partnered with health insurers in the past. In January, the company teamed up with Humana to offer a Fitbit personal training app as a virtual resource through the insurer’s wellness and rewards program, Go365. The company also has partnerships with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Unitedhealthcare. But the Fitbit Inspire is the company’s first wearable device specifically designed for employers and health plans.

This story has been updated to include comments from Fitbit.

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