UnitedHealthcare Adds New Fitness Benefit to Medicare Advantage Plans in San Antonio

Managed Care Weekly Digest

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- People enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans in San Antonio will soon have a new fitness benefit that offers access to exercise classes, workout equipment and social activities at participating fitness locations (see also Medicare and Medicaid - Medicare).

In January 2018, Optum Fitness Advantage will be available at no additional cost to people enrolled in eligible UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans in 11 states through a large network of participating fitness centers. Plan participants will have access to the same services, privileges, classes and programs as the fitness centers' standard members, including waiver of all enrollment fees.

"Optum Fitness Advantage offers people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans an opportunity to stay active and engaged in their communities in a way that supports their overall health and well-being," said Chris Abbott, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement in Texas.

Fitness centers participating in the Optum Fitness Advantage program in San Antonio include participating locations of 24 Hour Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Gold's Gym, LA Fitness, Snap Fitness and YouFit Health Clubs. Locations also include local participating YMCAs.

The Optum Fitness Advantage program, launched by UnitedHealthcare in Washington state and New Jersey in January 2017, has been well received by local Medicare Advantage plan participants.

"I go to my local YMCA almost daily at no additional cost, which means a lot when living on a fixed income," said Nancy Chiu, a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage member in New Jersey. "I am grateful that UnitedHealthcare is offering a fitness program that helps me improve my health and well-being."

"Anytime Fitness and Self Esteem Brands look forward to serving UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members as part of the Optum Fitness Advantage network," said Chuck Runyon, CEO of Anytime Fitness. "We look forward to working together to provide more fitness choices to seniors, both inside and outside of the gym."

UnitedHealthcare, which has exclusive rights to offer AARP-branded Medicare plans, serves more than 4.3 million people in Medicare Advantage, 4.9 million people through its portfolio of Part D prescription drug plans, and 4.4 million beneficiaries through its Medicare supplement plans.

Altogether, UnitedHealthcare serves one in five Medicare beneficiaries nationwidei.

For more information about Optum Fitness Advantage, visit https://fitnessadvantage.optum.com/. About UnitedHealthcareUnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 1 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.

Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan's contract renewal with Medicare.

This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premium and/or copayments/coinsurance may change on January 1 of each year.

Y0066_170919_100312 Accepted i UnitedHealthcare internal data (unique lives only), 2017. Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for UnitedHealth Group. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171106005314/en/

Keywords for this news article include: Health Policy, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare and Medicaid - Medicare.