UnitedHealthcare, Walgreens team-up to incentivize healthy behavior

UnitedHealthcare Walgreens

Walgreens and UnitedHealthcare have teamed-up to integrate Walgreens Balance Rewards for healthy choices with UnitedHealthcare’s Reward Me to help people adopt healthy behaviors. UnitedHealthcare plan participants in Arizona and Illinois can access the program via the Reward Me tab on UnitedHealthcare’s mobile app Health4Me and earn Walgreens Balance Rewards loyalty points by completing healthy activities such as daily exercise, eating fruits and vegetables, and logging sufficient sleep.

Health plans on their end have the ability to define activities for their plan customers to earn Balance Rewards points to help health plans meet higher patient engagement, as well as HEDIS and 5 Star Medicare quality goals.

The use of corporate wellness incentives has doubled since 2009, with employees earning $594 in incentives each year on average.“Through our Balance Rewards for healthy choices initiative, Walgreens encourages participants to adopt simple steps that can positively affect a person’s health, and collaborating with leading health plans such as UnitedHealthcare can further enhance the reach and impact of these programs,” said Adam Pellegrini, divisional vice president of Digital Health for Walgreens.

UnitedHealthcare’s Reward Me initiative is a health-incentive that enables plan participants to keep track of their physical activity, healthy food selections and other lifestyle choices that promote better well-being, and in the process earn discounts on products and services, including up to 50% off merchandise at a variety of national and local retailers. Health4Me is available on iPhone and Android devices to UnitedHealthcare plan participants and all consumers around the U.S.

Walgreens and UnitedHealthcare’s collaboration is helping to meet the growing demand for meaningful and relevant rewards that are easy to access and redeem both online and offline. The use of corporate wellness incentives has doubled since 2009, with employees earning $594 in incentives each year on average, according to a recent study from the National Business Group on Health.