Apple Watch Series 5 Is Now $49 For Seniors; How To Avail?

Three major companies in the field of technology, retail, and pharmaceuticals are currently working hand in hand on a new project: Apple, Best Buy, and Johnson and Johnson for digital health research. The research is called Heartline, which is a randomized digital health trial, and those who qualify could get Apple Watch for only $49.

What is Heartline?

The latest project of these three major companies in the industry aims to determine if Apple Watches is capable of detecting heart rhythm irregularity early to minimize the chance of stroke among seniors. This way, they could seek the necessary medical help. The irregularity of the heart rhythm is called atrial fibrillation, which, aside from stroke, has several other serious health implications.

Seniors who are around the age of 65 or older have an increased risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those at a much younger age. The target of the project is to recruit 150,000 subjects who will be assigned randomly in one of the two buckets, reports CNBC. One batch would be assigned with Heartline, which is an iPhone app that offers health tips and education. The other batch would be offered the Apple Watch either as a loner unit or at a retail price of $49 plus tax.

How To Avail the $49+ Apple Watch

The Heartline project has a certain set of criteria for those who could avail of the heavily subsidized price of Apple Watch Series 5. Seniors with Medicare coverage and are 65 years old or older are eligible for the Heartline project. They must know how to use and possess an iPhone 6 or newer iPhone model.

The $49+ Apple Watch Series 5 is only open to selected candidates who would be assigned to the batch required to use the Apple Watch Series 5. Those who would like to avail could simply purchase the unit at Best Buy. The official website of Heartline has all the instructions on how to be a part of the program.

Aside from the massive discount on the price of the Apple Watch Series 5, participants could also receive cash rewards if they meet the goals in the Heartline app. Moreover, the app is linked to the Blue Button API of Medicare, which allows them to gain access to claims data and billing information.

Given the size of the research, the Heartline project could take three years before companies could share the output.