Conversationalist ⭐

AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
November 13, 2024
309 replies
156881 views

I was told by The Exercise Coach this morning that AARP/UHC has removed them as a gym for Renew Active for 2025.

I have looked online at Medicare.gov as well as the AARP/UHC Plan G for 2025 but not seeing anything that specifies that there will be changes for 2025, other than premium.

I called AARP/UHC customer service and was assured that The Exercise Coach was still an available gym for me for 2025.

I found a YouTube video that talks about 2025 changes to renew active. He read a letter that UHC sent to a renew active member over 2 weeks ago. What it stated was that gyms listed as premium locations will no longer be part of Renew Active. The YouTube video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gEIIHEES70 about the 3:39 time mark. He did do a follow up video that indicated that removal of premium gyms was location based.

I have not received any communication from AARP/UHC about this. I emailed them to ask if it is true that premium gyms are being dropped and how do we know what locations are keeping premium gyms for Renew Active.

Show previous replies

M

MYCAH

Contributor ⭐

Nov 24 Posted on Renew active - Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Orangetheory Fitness, The Exercise Coach and Xponential Fitness brands including Club Pilates, CycleBar, StretchLab, Rumble, Pure Barre and YogaSix will no longer be in the Renew Active fitness network. I do not think UHC dropped them I think they dropped UHC compensation not enough, and they need to reconcile at the end of each month to bill the insurance for the sessions, probably a lot of work, not worth the trouble

NO NOTICE FROM AARP or UHC, I belong to Club pilates thur renew active, when were they going to tell us??

J

JillR908616

Contributor ⭐⭐

The clubs definitely DID NOT drop UHC, I have been told by Club Pilates manager, Exercise Coach franchise owner and Stretch Lab manager that they are upset and devastated by this news as some clubs have many Renew Active members, which has helped them financially. It will be a significant loss to them. Please call UHC and tell them to reinstate the program.

L

LisaT742060

Contributor ⭐⭐

Maybe if we all complain to UHC it might help. Who knows. Worth a try.

E

e855323b

Contributor ⭐

Does anyone have a specific email address to lodge a complaint with UHC for eliminating these programs? I'm concerned a message to the general address will just get lost. Thanks.

J

JillR908616

Contributor ⭐⭐

I just called the number on my card. You can ask to have your complaint escalated as well. They call it submitting a grievance and I was told that that’s probably the only way they may back off of this decision. They need to hear that we are all very unhappy about this.

D

DavidG962812

Contributor ⭐⭐

I just spent 25 min on the phone with UHC to submit a grievance for my wife and me. The reps that answer your call don't have the details necessary to submit the grievance and put you on hold to check with a manager. Otherwise, they are very polite and have been told to talk about the other very good gyms in the area that they still cover.

We're moving to Aetna with Silver Sneakers that will cover our Lifetime Fitness membership in Atascocita, TX

E

e855323b

Contributor ⭐

i submitted my complaint through the contact button on the website. ChatGPT was very helpful in crafting my response

C

cyndibritton

Contributor ⭐

Just spent over 31 minutes trying to get an answer and can't get anywhere. They are useless. Can't tell me anything about who is in charge of Renew Active. What a joke. Total chaos on how this happened and why. It is hard to believe that these clubs do not want this vast amount of business. Infuriating. Each side blames the other.

J

JillR908616

Contributor ⭐⭐

Seems to me that if you buy your UHC plan from AARP, you should complain to them about it as well. That is why I went to Calpers, since they are the company that offers this to me. It VERY infuriating.

T

TerriM890870

Contributor ⭐⭐

This is being driven to changes, made to Medicare supplement plans in the inflation reduction act. Therefore, companies are finding way other ways to cut cost to offset the changes made.

C

CherylA596421

Contributor ⭐⭐

I am disappointed to learn that the Renew Active plan will no longer covers Club Pilates and Pure Barre, as these were key reasons for my enrollment. Come on, AARP—you are supposed to support us!

To AARP/United Health Care Renew Active -- please reconsider and put them back on the list.

M

mb16911123

Contributor ⭐

Agree! I found out today that the UHC plan I signed up for in October will no longer cover The Exercise Coach in 2025. This was a primary consideration when I signed up. I’m very upset that AARP did not have our backs on this. It genuinely feels like a bait and switch. I’ll write to Consumer Reports since AARP is not being straightforward about this issue. I was not informed by AARP or UHC.

L

LisaT742060

Contributor ⭐⭐

Agree only reason I was joining in Jan. Not now

S

sm13058948

Contributor ⭐⭐

I don’t know if it will help but I created a Change.org petition- ashamed they did not let us know during Open Enrollment and I am sorry for studios and gyms - and us

Bring Back YMCAs and Other Premium Locations to Renew Active for 2025!

AARP @UHC UnitedHealthcare
Please sign this Change.org petition I just posted - and share https://chng.it/Lbnx9ZGJWc

GailL1

Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐

You might also try posting your petition drive on Reddit too because if seems UHC removing some of these special gyms from the Renew Active program is also a hot discussion on Reddit.

Reddit - Aarp canceled orangetheory

IT‘S ALWAYS SOMETHING . . . . .. . . . Roseanne Roseannadanna

S

sm13058948

Contributor ⭐⭐

Thank you - I did post on several threads on Reddit. And on Facebook.

Please share the link. And ask everyone to sign

R

RodolfoZ791829

Contributor ⭐

Here are the steps to submit an appeal online:

1) While logged on into your online account, click on the
COVERAGE AND BENEFITS tab
2) Click on PLAN DOCUMENTS AND RESOURCES sub tab
3) Scroll down until you see the heading FORMS AND
RESOURCES
4) Click on the arrow to the right of OTHER RESOURCES
5) Here, you will see the first link is for the Appeals
and Grievances process information, but the second link,
Medicare Plan Appeals and Grievances Form (Online), is
to submit the appeal online. The third link is to print
and send in the form.

If you prefer to send in an appeal by mail, you will
print out the third link and send it to:

Appeals & Grievance Department
PO Box 6106
MS CA124-0157
Cypress, CA 90630
or fax to: 888-517-7113

Appeals must be submitted within 60 calendar days of the
denial notice or Cost Sharing Dispute. Requests for an
appeal must be sent in writing. A decision will be made
regarding your appeal within 60 days of the plan
receiving your request.

Submit an Appeal Online
https://memberforms.uhc.com/MR-AppealsandGrievance.html

T

TM614020

Contributor ⭐

After enrolling in Life Time Fitness just a few days ago, I was told by the facility's manager today that UHC MA will be dropping Life Time for 2025. LIfe Time is a Premium location according to UHC website. I just started to believe that the program will be beneficial to me and now I am left wondering if UHC cares at all about its members or more about its bottom line. I will sign the petition but can you please update it to include Life Time Fitness in the list of facilities being dropped for 2025? Thanks. TKM

D

DavidG962812

Contributor ⭐⭐

My wife and I left our UHC Advantage plans because we received letters from them stating premium gyms (like LifeTime Fitness) would not be covered in 2025. LifeTime confirmed that also. We changed our Advantage plan to Aetna whose Silver Sneakers does provide a LifeTime membership, and we have signed up. Interestingly, a friend at LifeTime left her Cigna plan that would no longer cover LifeTime for a 2025 UHC Advantage plan and got her LifeTime membership covered. So, I have no clue how Medicare Advantage plan providers determine who gets what covered. 🤦‍♂️

S

SandraH34897

Contributor ⭐⭐

I was trying to sign up for my yoga, pilates, exercise coach, and stretch labs this morning (December 1 2024) and they are no longer on the list!!! Availability to these gyms is WHY i chose to stay with UHC and Renew Active this year vs Kaiser, which is much cheaper and includes OnePass, and does include these gyms. My whole retirement and current health involves going to these gyms. I'm super bummed.

L

LisaT742060

Contributor ⭐⭐

Obviously UCH prefers to have their seniors unhealthy on more drugs.

T

TerriM890870

Contributor ⭐⭐

I think all our premiums are going up next year too….. it all stems back to the inflation reduction act that was done back in September or August ….sometime last fall. The healthcare companies are trying to figure out where to cut extras. I agree with you they cut out the donut hole and are covering more prescriptions, which doesn’t make sense. They should be covering more gyms as well so people don’t have to take drugs in the first place. The healthcare companies themselves didn’t have any control over this. It was all done in Congress to provide better coverage for low income, Medicare recipients.

M

mw80402156

Contributor ⭐

Having just started using the Renew Active benefit I now find (one week before the end of open enrollment) that I am losing my Club Pilates. I am so disappointed. I thought that the purpose of these programs was to help us remain healthy and active and, ultimately, not need additional resources that would save the insurance carrier money. I guess I was mistaken. Very sad. I will be doing extra research next year and may go to less expensive option since there is no longer added incentive.

T

TRL1111

Community Champion ⭐

@mw80402156 wrote:
I will be doing extra research next year and may go to less expensive option since there is no longer added incentive.

You don't have to wait until next year.

If you have a supplement, you can change your supplement any time during the year. Depending on your state, you might have to undergo medical underwriting to qualify for a different supplement, but there's nothing special about open enrollment when it comes to changing supplements.

If you have an Advantage plan, there is one week left in the open enrollment period we're currently in. But from January 1 - March 31, there's an additional open enrollment period for Advantage members, during which they can switch Advantage plans, or change to Medicare (although if you want a Medigap supplement, you might have to undergo medical underwriting).

Show more replies

Sign up

Login with SSO

Login to the community

Login with SSO