Aetna’s CarePass passing into history

Another Aetna Healthagen initiative is shutting its virtual doors–the much-touted CarePass aggregator for mobile health apps. Available to both Aetna and non-Aetna members, it incorporated leading apps such as Fitbit, Jawbone, Withings, MapMyFitness and BodyMedia. A dimming of its consumer/mobile health star which burned so brightly from late 2012 through last year was evident at this year’s HIMSS. CarePass was nowhere to be seen, and the iTriage patient engagement tool was off in the shadows [TTA 28 Feb]. From its redone website, Healthagen is increasingly concentrated on core areas for payers: ACOs, clinical decision support, data management and health information exchanges. MobiHealthNews broke the exclusive including Aetna’s confirmation and also the quiet departure of two CarePass executives from the company which took place earlier this summer. This Editor wonders if Cigna’s similar GoYou has had more success, having gone far more public in its introduction with some of the oddest TV and web spots to see daylight [TTA 4 Oct 13], but at least they attempted to break out of the bland insurer communication mold to something that might resonate with the intended audience. Other than through industry conferences, this Editor would never have learned of CarePass’ existence. Does this say that health insurers’ concepts, ideas and communications which are supposed to ‘engage consumers’ turn out to sound slightly off-key to their intended audience–or do consumers not want their insurer to have access to vitals/fitness-generated health data, even if it’s held as private or de-identified?