American Specialty Health’s New Active&Fit Direct Program Gains Over 130 Million Eligible Members in First Year Since Launch

PR Newswire

SAN DIEGO and CARMEL, Ind., May 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After only one year in the marketplace, American Specialty Health Incorporated's (ASH) new Active&Fit Direct^TM fitness program has attracted over 200 clients, including 75 Fortune 500 clients, dozens of health plans and others. Client demand has catapulted Active&Fit Direct's number of eligible members to more than 130 million people nationwide. Active&Fit Direct has become the nation's largest commercial fitness network program in terms of total eligible membership in less than one year.

The new Active&Fit Direct program, offered by employers and health plans, allows members to choose from among 9,600 participating fitness centers for only $25 a month.

Active&Fit Direct is a fitness and exercise program offered to health plans, employers and others to encourage individuals to exercise and get active.

Active&Fit Direct has been hailed for its affordable pricing and flexibility – it is a consumer self-pay program where eligible individuals can obtain access to one of over 9,600 participating fitness centers nationally for only $25 a month. Active&Fit Direct's network includes many of the most popular local and regional fitness centers, YMCAs, exercise studios and recreation centers.

"The Active&Fit Direct program has proven to be our fastest-growing new start-up product in the 30-year history of our company," said ASH co-founder, Chairman and CEO George DeVries. "Clients who want to offer fitness and exercise solutions to their populations are attracted to it because it's consumer self-pay and fully administered by Active&Fit Direct. Members are attracted because it is affordable and flexible. Fitness centers are attracted because it brings in new members. Everyone wins."

DeVries added that "In a recent member satisfaction survey, 95.8% of Active&Fit Direct members were satisfied with their fitness centers. Members also gave the program a high Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 78. A Net Promoter Score is a measure that indicates a member's willingness to recommend a program, service or product to others. Active&Fit Direct offers a user-friendly online consumer experience. 96% of all participants enroll and select their fitness center online. In addition, ActiveandFitDirect.com offers the opportunity to track activity online through over 250 wireless fitness devices, mobile apps and connected fitness equipment.

"The response to Active&Fit Direct from both clients and consumers has been very positive," DeVries said. "As a result of the significant demand for the program, we are pleased to announce that Active&Fit Direct will introduce a next generation, four-tier fitness center network this December. Our expanded fitness center network will give members access to many additional and unique fitness offerings, including boutique fitness centers, yoga studios, Pilates studios, cycle studios, dance studios, high-intensity training programs, and others. The four-tier network model will allow us to nearly double the number of fitness center and exercise program offerings over the next year and a half, bringing our national network to over 17,000 brand choices. Members enrolling online can choose the more affordable $25 per month package or can choose to buy-up if there is a particular type of exercise program or fitness center they prefer."

The positive role of physical activity and exercise on health outcomes and healthcare costs has been scientifically established, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) encouraging Americans to get active.

"Higher fitness levels reduce the risk of diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, improve mental health and brain function, increase mobility and stamina – and that's just the beginning of the benefits," said Brett Hanson, MBA, MBF, DFSS, vice president of Fitness Network Management. "Fitness translates to lower absenteeism, reduced presenteeism and higher productivity on the job. Other than quitting tobacco, there really is no other lifestyle change that can have the kind of positive impact on health that physical activity and fitness can have."

The Active&Fit Direct program is a product of American Specialty Health Fitness, Inc., a subsidiary of American Specialty Health Incorporated.

About American Specialty Health
American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) offers technology-enabled benefits management services, including musculoskeletal health provider networks and programs, fitness center networks and exercise programs, and health management solutions for health plans, insurance carriers, employers and others. With offices in Carmel (Indianapolis), IN, San Diego, CA, Southlake (Dallas), TX, and Columbia, SC, ASH has over 1,400 employees and administers benefits for over 43 million members nationwide. In 2017, ASH was once again named to the exclusive Inc. 5000 ranking, marking the eighth time in the last nine years that ASH has been included on the list of America's fastest growing privately-held companies.

About American Specialty Health Fitness
American Specialty Health Fitness, Inc. (ASHF) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASH. ASHF offers the following fitness programs:

The Silver&Fit^® program: A subsidized fitness and healthy aging program for Medicare Advantage and other Medicare programs.
The FitnessCoach^® program: A subsidized fitness and exercise program for Special Needs Populations, Dual Eligibles, Medicaid and Medi-Cal programs.
The Active&Fit^® program: A subsidized fitness and exercise program for commercial populations.
Active&Fit Direct: A consumer self-pay fitness program.
The ExerciseRewards^TM program: A fitness and exercise rewards and incentive program.

For more information about ASH, visit www.ashcompanies.com or call 800-848-3555. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter at @ASHCompanies or Facebook @ASHCompanies.

Contacts:
Lisa Freeman
(310) 422-9200
[email protected]

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