Aetna Encourages Health Through Online Gaming
As if we needed more affirmation the healthy games are going to be a huge industry in the future here is an article about how an insurance company is putting their money into it. It is not surprising that an insurance company would be interested it making their people healthy to save themselves money, but I also think they realize this is one more area that they can make some money.
HARTFORD, CT – Aetna has announced a collaboration with Mindbloom, a Seattle-based social media company, that will offer plan members an enhanced version of Life Game, Mindbloom’s online social game for personal wellness.
Starting this fall, Aetna members will have access to a new engagement model that uses the science behind social gaming – a blend of technology, art and behavioral psychology – to engage people in achieving personal health and wellness goals.
“Considering that Americans are spending over $200 billion a year on healthy living products and services, but the rates of chronic health conditions and obesity continue to rise, the time is right for a new approach to engaging people in achieving better overall health,” said Kyra Bobinet, MD, medical director of health and wellness innovation at Aetna. “We think the Mindbloom Life Game will provide a fun, rewarding and effective way for Aetna’s members to make lasting improvements in their physical and emotional well-being.”
Life Game, a personalized wellness application that inspires and helps people to live healthier, more balanced lives. The Life Game helps people focus on many areas of life including: health, spirituality, relationships, leisure, lifestyle, finances, creativity and career. Mindbloom’s players grow and maintain a virtual “life tree” and a forest of their family and friends, earn virtual rewards and make progress in their real lives. The Aetna collaboration will involve a significant enhancement to the Life Game as well as new mobile features.
“Most of us recognize the value of maintaining healthy, balanced lives yet we continually fail to make healthy behaviors a consistent priority,” says Mindbloom’s CEO, Brent Poole. “It seems the motivation is there but we can all use a little nudge. By incorporating social networking, multimedia, a virtual rewards system and psychology-based gaming mechanics – and making it all accessible through mobile phones, email and social media channels – Mindbloom is bringing the missing ingredient of personal engagement to the wellness equation.”
Mindbloom’s social gaming expertise complements Aetna’s full suite of health and wellness programs, which are designed to help people achieve better overall health. For an overview of the Life Game, visit www.mindbloom.com/aetna.
