Health Care Service Corporation Releases Updated Centered App with Support for Apple Watch

Enhancements to Centered App Further Encourage Mindful Meditation and Physical Activity to Reduce Stress

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Apr 13, 2015, 07:55 ET

CHICAGO, April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the country's largest customer owned health insurer, has updated its popular Centered App with support for Apple Watch. The free Centered app, one of the first apps available for Apple Watch, takes a holistic approach to stress management by allowing users to track their daily physical activity while providing guidance for mindful meditation exercises to help reduce stress levels and improve overall health.

Centered for iPhone and Apple Watch offers consumers a stress management tool that supports positive behavior change through encouraging users to be more mindful of adding more physical activity to their day and taking time to practice mindfulness through guided sessions. Download Centered now: http://shout.lt/CSdZ.

Centered for Apple Watch offers consumers an on-the-go stress management tool that encourages positive behavior change and helps consumers to make the connection between exercise and stress management. Available exclusively from the App Store^sm, Centered leverages the capabilities of the Apple Watch, including:

Glance: Illustrates at-a-glance progress of current daily steps and mindful minute goals
Notifications: Reminders to log mood through push messages

In addition to Apple Watch capabilities, current Centered for iPhone¹ users can update their app to access all-new features and design updates including new walking and compassion meditation sessions. Users can also manually input their mood at any time to view how their activity is impacting their mood.

"Today's digital environment requires us to be able to quickly adapt and provide our members the tools and resources they need to better manage their health," said Darren Rodgers, chief marketing officer, HCSC. "Centered for Apple Watch enables us to deliver an exciting new way for consumers to engage with our app from their wrist and is an extension of commitment to innovate on emerging trends to improve health and wellness in our local communities."

HCSC developed the Centered App based on a study conducted with professors from the Adler School of Professional Psychology and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The study found that abbreviated mindful meditation exercises result in significant reductions in stress levels and increases in the participant's ability to focus attention on recent experiences in a clear and non-reactive manner (mindfulness).

Additional Centered features include:

Track calories burned, miles walked and time spent being active per day for the last 7 days
Add a "today" view notification widget that will display progress towards step and meditation goals as a snapshot
Set goals and reminders for daily steps and weekly mindful meditation sessions
Receive tips for successful meditation sessions and added daily activity
View activity history for meditation sessions and steps taken
View average relaxation rating before and after the meditation session

"Our research indicates that an abbreviated, self-guided, online version of the popular Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program can help people recognize stress triggers and gain greater insight in managing their health and well-being, " said Dr. Conway McDanald, vice president and chief medical officer, Behavioral Health, HCSC. "Centered makes stress management actionable and intentional, potentially leading to an improvement in total health and productivity and positive health outcomes."

The Centered Apple Watch App is available from the Apple Watch App Store beginning April 24. The Centered App for iPhone is available now as a free download from the App Store.

For more information on the Centered app, please view this video https://youtu.be/e7Iqi73o_Eo .

To download the Centered App for iPhones, text "Centered" to 33633.*

*Data charges may apply

About Health Care Service Corporation
Health Care Service Corporation is the country's largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall, with nearly 14.7 million members in its Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. A Mutual Legal Reserve Company, HCSC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit HCSC.com, visit our Facebook page or follow us at www.twitter.com/HCSC.

¹ iOS8 or above.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7Iqi73o_Eo
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150410/197907
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130401/AQ85974LOGO

SOURCE Health Care Service Corporation