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[RedskinRat]

The rise of the digital nanny state

Health and wellness wristbands may not be nannies today. But what about down the line? Health insurance companies and employers are beginning to see the potential cost benefits of clients and employees mining their activity data.

Health insurance company Aetna launched CarePass – a fitness app it made available to consumers in June. The app can import data from Withings‘s Wi-Fi-enabled scales, Jawbone’s Up and Fitbit’s Flex. The app doesn’t replace your physician, but it can help you be a bit more honest about your habits between appointments.

“They realize that this is stuff that they’ve never had,” said Jawbone’s Bogard of health insurance companies, “they’re starting to realize there’s this whole aspect of observations of daily living that’s not necessarily something you’re making a diagnosis on.”

Ah, technology, how I love thee.....