Two health app directories/curation sites debut, contrastingly

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CignaGOYOU_Judging_720x426.jpg” thumb_width=”175″ /]Health app curation and directory listing is becoming a popular space with Cigna’s GoYou Marketplace, launched at Health 2.0 this week, and start-up MobileHealthMarketplace.com. Cigna’s move is clearly designed to counter Aetna’s CarePass, which is a more broadly centered consumer platform [TTA 12 July]. GoYou will include not only health monitoring/wellness apps but also lifestyle/money management with a strong social (rating/sharing) overlay. Developed with SocialWellth, the latter’s Las Vegas location must account for the blindingly bright, about-as-far-as-you-can-get-from-insurance graphics (despite the Cigna logo), to the point where the approach becomes New Age kitschy: “We want to inspire you to be  your true self, in all your fantastically, amazingly, remarkably human glory. After all, what’s healthier than that?” Included are inspirational posters meant to be shared (left) and GoYou’s surreal commercials which have been airing in the US. MobileHealthMarketplace’s website, by contrast, appears made by a local (and non-artistic) web developer. The bog standard website divides apps into general descriptive classes, lists, describes them and invites reviews. Their goal is to be a “single source of information about these new technologies for medical professionals, employers, employees,  insurers, health plans and brokers.” The company looks also to be an Allen family affair.

It looks like the empty space that Happtique had all to itself for a year or so, and worked mightily, but briefly, to two-track with clinicians/doctors/hospitals and planned direct to consumer, has gained quite a bit of company. Mobihealthnews (Cigna), MobileHealthMarketplace release.