The Ethical and Legal Implications of Health Insurance Companies Collecting Health Data through Wearable Technology

The Ethical and Legal Implications of Health Insurance Companies Collecting Health Data through Wearable Technology
Introduction: Telematic devices have been used by insurance companies to collect driving data from policyholders. Similarly, health insurance companies are now exploring the use of wearable technology to collect health data from policyholders. This raises the question of whether health insurance companies should be allowed to collect health data from wearable technology to inform the cost of insuring individuals. This paper will explore the legal and ethical implications of this issue.
Legal Implications: There are laws in place to protect health data, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States. HIPAA outlines the requirements for the privacy and security of health information. However, wearable technology is not covered by HIPAA, and therefore, there is no clear regulatory framework for the collection of health data from wearable technology by insurance companies.
Ethical Implications: The use of wearable technology to collect health data raises concerns about privacy, autonomy, and fairness. Privacy concerns arise from the potential for health insurance companies to use health data to discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions. Autonomy concerns arise from the potential for health insurance companies to use health data to incentivize policyholders to engage in certain behaviors. Fairness concerns arise from the potential for health insurance companies to use health data to create a two-tiered health insurance system, where policyholders who are perceived as healthy receive lower premiums.
Conclusion: The collection of health data through wearable technology by health insurance companies has both legal and ethical implications. While there are currently no clear regulations on this issue, it is important to consider the potential impact on privacy, autonomy, and fairness. As such, a careful examination of the ethical and legal implications of this practice is necessary to ensure that the collection of health data through wearable technology is done in a way that is both responsible and ethical.