Ok I guess we might be talking cell phone subsidies as relates to the government involvement here? Who’s footing the bill? SafeLink and Voxiva
I’m sure are happy to get the business. At any rate just making a point here on why insurance costs are so high. Sure there’s some methodologies that add value and keep cost down, I’m aware of that. I guess the good thing here though is that being it’s a TracFone and if one didn’t like it, they can throw it away:) This is under that “free or almost free” digital world scenario. If you don’t know about that, the link below will catch you up.
Nearly Free-Everything Digitally Created Including Money Versus Real World Assets- Imbalance Leading To Our Own Undoing With A Country Full of Leaders Living on Irrational Behavior Instead of Logic-It Bites Back at the NSA
I looked at the Voxiva website and it sells wellness and the board of directors contains a lot of folks from the wireless and investment communities. So what’s the business model here, selling data? I looked at the privacy policy here and they don’t sell or rent (new term there, data renting:) and they state they are in the aggregated data business, profiles sold, or rented:) Ok so here’s a portion of the real disclosure with asking for non disclosure agreements, well that didn’t stop a company like Accretive did it. I’m sure they signed business associate contracts right and left. There’s nobody monitoring this and it says they won’t do it…business models in financials and other areas are beginning to tell a different story and we hear about it in the news.
“We may, on occasion, hire other companies to provide services on our behalf, such as processing and delivering mailings, providing customer support, processing transactions, or performing statistical analysis of our services. If any such entity has access to your Personal Information, we require them to sign confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, as well, and prohibit their use of such Information beyond the services they are providing on our behalf. We may also share Personal Information with our attorneys and accountants, or in connection with a potential merger, acquisition, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, in all cases, subject to confidentiality and non-disclosure restrictions.”
Just to be a crank, I’m tired of hearing about the text4baby app as there are a lot more programs that do similar things today and besides most of the population is not pregnant and we are having fewer babies born in the US:) This is pending regulation approval in 12 states. If you go back you may remember that WellPoint bought Amerigroup for $4.9 billions in July of 2012…what have I been saying…ALL THE ACTIONS ARE TAKING PLACE IN THE INSURER SUBSIDIARIES, RIGHT?
You can read the press release below and you do get unlimited text messages and 250 free minutes, but the catch is they all have to go to Amerigroup ahhhh more metadata out there:) Ok so here’s the pitch for TracFone to come in and sell additional services as the insurer gets the device in the patient’s hand. 
We already know via their admitting that Blue Cross and United are buying our Master Card and Visa records to monitor and see if those covered are buying clothes a size larger so I guess this way you can text them and give a heads up? We also have this to where they wan to find out if you are eating junk food. Twinkies are back so be very careful out there:)
Health Insurers and Others Trying to Track Junk Food Consumers Purchase–Attack of the Killer Algorithms for Corporate Profits
Here’s a link on my 2 year old campaign about licensing and taxing the data sellers making billions. We currently have no path to regulate and this would do it and help keep folks above board too as I do worry that a lot of these companies would not be able to generate a profit if they didn’t have a data selling mechanism and we all know what that would mean for company stability.
Privacy Wanted–So Let’s Require Those Who Sell Web Data to Register and Tax the Transactions and Publicly Disclose Who They Sell To With a Federal Registry
I read stuff like Walgreens and their data selling where they make about a billions a year selling data and sure they offer some conveniences, but are you going to sell yourself out everywhere. We are faced with this decision all the time. I like the Scanadu device as they don’t sell data and it keeps the doctor-patient relationship valid without disrupting and trying to bring more entities into the picture until it’s needed. They will not be selling data, a huge winner and patients could choose to share items with their insurer or wellness program, their choice.
Again the question here is who’s paying for this being it’s Medicaid and is the data selling part of the business plan part of the revenue here? No wonder all are asking about those subsidies and this is not the only one. Data selling has become such an epidemic and is creating more flawed data out there and of course there’s the big risk that we all fear with data being used out of context, this really needs to be addressed soon. We shall see if they get the approval for this with the FCC and maybe the FTC since it touches both areas. If you want to know more about how it works, play the game, Data Dealer. We need some more government data sleuths to create a wake up call with current day technologies as some of what is called the big brother effect technologies are coming with data selling profit built in. BD
Lack of Modeling and Algorithm Sleuths and Stalkers In Government, Part of Why We See Such “Silly” HHS and Congressional News About Financial Donations And/Or Solicitations…
MIAMI – July 15, 2013 – TracFone Wireless and Voxiva, Inc. are creating a better way for Amerigroup to reach and engage millions of members and improve their health. SafeLink Health Solutions, a service of TracFone Wireless, was created to assist partners such as Amerigroup to stay connected with their Medicaid population. Customers receive a phone, unlimited text messages, 250 minutes each month and calls to Amerigroup’s member services all at no cost.
Pending state approvals, the combined offer will expand across the 12 states where Amerigroup operates.
Members can also subscribe to Voxiva’s suite of mobile health programs, including text4baby and txt4health at no cost. These programs have been designed to provide families with timely health information and alerts; encourage them to follow recommended guidelines for physical exams, preventative screenings, flu shots and vaccinations; and make them aware of the health plan services and benefits available to them. The programs are also designed to help health plans improve key HEDIS quality measures and increase member retention. Independent evaluations of the services have demonstrated improved outcomes on key quality measures such as appointment attendance and immunizations.
“Voxiva and its partners have been pioneers in delivering large scale mobile health services that improve health. Text4baby, which we developed with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, is the largest mobile health service in the nation with over half a million moms enrolled. Our partnership with TracFone means that these proven programs can reach many more people at no cost to them and at no added cost to their health plans,” said Paul Meyer, Voxiva’s Chairman & President.
SafeLink Health Solutions aims to provide savings to the Medicaid program while ensuring a direct link between Medicaid health plans and their members. “TracFone is proud to join Voxiva in providing SafeLink Health Solutions to enhance the lives of countless Medicaid recipients across the United States. By partnering with Amerigroup, we will leverage our company’s knowledge, innovation and commitment to quality service to provide this unique solution,” said F. J. Pollak, CEO of TracFone Wireless.
About Voxiva, Inc.
Founded in 2001, Voxiva is a global pioneer in delivering interactive mobile health services. We leverage the world's 6 billion mobile phones to communicate and interact with people to help them live healthier lives. All of our patient engagement services incorporate evidenced-based content and best practices to deliver highly effective and engaging solutions. Voxiva's programs support a broad range of health topics such as maternal & child health, smoking cessation, healthy living and diabetes self-management. In 2011, Fast Company recognized Voxiva as one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the world.
To learn more, contact Voxiva at (202) 419-0179 or info@voxiva.com.
About TracFone and SafeLink
TracFone Wireless is a subsidiary of América Móvil S.A.B. de C.V. ("AMX") (BMV: AMX; NYSE: AMX; NASDAQ: AMOV; LATIBEX: XAMXL), the 5th largest cell phone company in the world and the largest in all of the Americas with more than 236 million wireless subscribers. To learn more, contact info@safelinkhealthsolutions.com.
About Amerigroup
Amerigroup, a wholly owned subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc., is the largest company focused solely on meeting the health care needs of financially vulnerable Americans. Currently serving approximately 2.7 million members in 12 states nationwide, Amerigroup is dedicated to offering real solutions that improve health care access and quality for our members, while proactively working to reduce the overall cost of care to taxpayers. Together with WellPoint’s affiliated health plans, we serve approximately 4.5 million beneficiaries of state-sponsored health plans in 19 states, making us the nation’s leading provider of health care solutions for public programs. Amerigroup accepts all eligible people regardless of age, sex, race or disability.
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