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PackJac
Contributor ⭐
January 2, 2023

Silver Sneakers Exercise Program through AARP Supplement has been CANCELLED

  • January 2, 2023
  • 13 replies
  • 42565 views

For years my AARP Medicare Supplement plan has offered Silver Sneakers. I used it at my local YMCA, as have many of my friends. My wife, who just turned 65, just started using the online version of Silver Sneakers after using it at the Y also, through her own AARP membership, We do NOT use the Medicare Advantage program because we travel out of state for long periods of time during the summer. 

 

Now she is on Medicare and has the AARP Medicare Supplement version of the old Plan F, reputedly the best plan in the country. She was told that Silver Sneakers was part of her new plan, and she started using the online program as soon as she could. She has done it now for a few months. She loves her instructor and the online program, and now Silver Sneakers is no longer available through AARP Supplement and she is being told that it is now available only through the AARP  Medicare Advantage Program.

 

What the heck is going on here? Are others being told one thing and given another? This is very upsetting, and I suspect other AARP members are having the same experience. Are they? Are you? What can we do about this?

 

    13 replies

    J
    jlongworth
    Contributor ⭐
    January 4, 2023

    Find another provider during next open enrollment. AARP makes a lot of money from pushing the fake Medicare plan that is called Medicare Advantage. They should be working against the Advantage plans if they were truly representing retired people.

      D
      DennisS802242
      Contributor ⭐
      January 7, 2023

      I totally agree.   I have done Silver Sneakers at home since I joined AARP 3 years ago.   I am immunocompromised I cannot go to a public gym.  I loved doing the exercises at home, I loved the instructors. I went to sign in the first of 2023 and was told I do not have a membership, I wondered what happened, after looking I realized AARP medicare no longer supports Silver Sneakers.  Do to my health issues, I cannot change insurance.  I do not want a Medicare Advantage plan.  Being retired from Health Care, I know what a Medicare Advantage plan is.  Please get Silver Sneakers back for the Medicare supplement members. Thank you.

       

        M
        MariamaA859467
        Contributor ⭐⭐
        January 10, 2023

        Hi Dennis,

         

        The Silver Sneakers program is no longer available;

         

        Effective January 1, 2023, the fitness program offered with your AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan changed to Renew Active by UnitedHealthcare. 

        Renew Active offers many ways to stay active — whether your preference is to work out at home or go in-person to the gym.

        Access to Fitbit Premium, which incudes thousands of workout videos of all levels and more. To access Fitbit Premium, members must first join the Fitbit Community for Renew Active.

         

        How to Use Renew Active

        1. Beginning January 1, 2023, register on3 or sign in to the insured member website, myAARPMedicare.com.
        2. Go to the Health & Wellness tab.
        3. Look for Renew Active on the right-hand side to get your new confirmation code.
        4. Accept the Renew Active Terms and Conditions.
        5. Take your new confirmation code with you on your first visit to your in-network facility after January 1, and stop at the front desk to let them know you are now participating in Renew Active.

        If you have any question, please call United Healthcare Customer Service at 1-888-307-6729.

          S
          ScottT916559
          Contributor ⭐
          January 27, 2025

          It's under Health and Wellness. I've never used Silver Sneakers and decided I should. Tried to sign up and couldn't. Found the answer in this thread above, logged in to my AARP account and found the Renew plan under Health and Wellness. Looks like the gyms that accept Silver Sneakers also accept Renew

          C
          c231974w
          Contributor ⭐
          July 25, 2025

           Lifetime stopped using Renew last year.  This year they are only taking SilverSneakers.

          T
          TRL1111
          Community Champion ⭐
          July 25, 2025
          @c231974w wrote:

           Lifetime stopped using Renew last year.  This year they are only taking SilverSneakers.

           

           

          Nope.  I have a Lifetime membership with Renew Active through my Plan G with wellness benefits supplement.

           

          You can go here to see which Lifetime locations accept which Medicare plans.  

           

          lifetime.life/medicare.html 

           

          Renew Active has far more participating Lifetime locations than Silver Sneakers.  Best I can tell, all Lifetime locations are in-network for UHC supplements that offer the Renew Active gym benefit, and for UHC Advantage plans whose Renew Active gym benefit includes the "core+premium" fitness benefit.

           

          Only some Lifetime locations are in-network for Silver Sneakers--from what I can tell they're the ones that aren't listed as "premium" in Renew Active's network.

           

          And be aware that Renew Active has three different networks--one for supplements and two for Advantage plans.  For the "core" network for Advantage, there are no participating Lifetime locations.  

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