topic Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited in Benefits & Discounts

Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

rt23921016 — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 07:10:54 GMT

As your Medicare Fitness Program Administrator may have shared with you, I am pleased to confirm that we have renewed agreements so members on eligible Medicare plans may continue accessing Life Time clubs as of January 1, 2024.

The new agreements were established based on the rate your provider is paying on your behalf and includes revised club access hours effective January 1, 2024:

Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Saturday: 2:00 p.m. to close.
Sunday: all open hours.
Note: Members will have continued access to all ARORA Aqua classes at any time with a reservation and club arrival within 30 minutes of the class start time.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

s438812m — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 11:40:38 GMT

If we want to continue using the fitness equipment early in the morning (5-7AM), before it gets crowded, we must upgrade to a Signature membership for $100/month out-of-pocket. It appears to be a means of increasing revenue by Life Time. Very disappointing.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

RG361135 — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 18:43:07 GMT

This in "MY OPINION" is discrimination. Why should we have to pay $100 per month when Lifetime Fitness is already receiving money? Everyone thinks that those of us over a certain age just sit home all day and do nothing. This is wrong. BTW---"Membership offering is based on the rate Medicare Fitness Program Administrators are paying on behalf of enrollees". SO how much are they paid? Is it capitated on a monthly basis or are they paid when an enrollee goes to the gym?

EITHER WAY--------This in my opinion is AGE DISCRIMINATION. It is wrong and once again "greed" on behalf of LTF.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

rt23921016 — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 18:52:03 GMT

I communicated the same to them and did receive and initial response. I did suggest that they offer options that would include early or midday access. My husband goes at 4:00 AM so we won’t be able to go together.

Hello Rose. Thank you for your message and important feedback. I’m sorry for the disappointment caused by these changes. Given overwhelming growth in our Medicare population, this change was implemented both based on the rate Medicare Fitness Program Administrators informed Life Time they are paying on behalf of enrollees and our desire to keep Medicare programs in place for years to come – versus no access at all.

The solution we have created provides a fair and equitable offering relative to what all other full-rate members pay for access, while Medicare members continue to enjoy access with a significant price advantage. The alternative would have been no contract renewal, nor continued access to Life Time.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

RG361135 — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:07:39 GMT

This is still not right. Who is "I" as a contributor on this thread? I wrote a letter directly to the Chairman/CEO of LFT. He could not even respond to my letter. It is ridiculous. I was with LTF since it opened its doors here in N. TX. in 2003. I have no desire to pay them more money. We are not interrupting anyone working out at LTF. They do not have to spend any additional money to hire staff. It is just a money making idea. Look at the number of members they lost after the lockdown? All they are trying to do is increase revenue. This is still AGE DISCRIMINATION. This is STILL WRONG.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

HH542555 — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 18:06:53 GMT

Thanking Lifetime for implementing the reduced senior hours policy.The lifetime location at garland,tx location is super packed with seniors throughout the day.Sorry if this comment offended anyone.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

rt23921016 — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 17:14:14 GMT

Sad that you would say that out loud. Let alone think it to yourself!

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

s438812m — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 19:40:55 GMT

I am a "senior" who strongly objects to Life Time's new policy. I am sorry that the Garland, TX contributor is uncomfortable with the number of my peers at their club. If the Garland seniors spend "every single day at" the club, it is clearly a central part of their lives. If so, I suspect that they will adjust to the revised schedule, arriving at 9:30 AM and leaving at 3 PM, so that they can socialize and exercise. They won't go away. My Life Time facility in Ohio has a senior population but I don't know if it numbers 200+. My routine involves exercising between 5-8 AM, every other day, so that I can pursue other interests/responsibilities the remainder of the day. There are very few people- young, middle aged or seniors- at the club when I am there, which is why I take issue with the policy change. The new policy conflicts with my life schedule and, since I cannot justify $100/month for early/late access &/or classes I have no interest in, I will be terminating my Life Time membership at year's end. I will join another national fitness chain for ~$30/month. It isn't as high-end as the Life Time I am leaving, but the locker rooms are clean and the equipment is new, albeit uniquely colored. I just need a place to sweat and moderately stress my heart at the start of my day.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

JohnG515922 — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 16:13:11 GMT

The argument that Life Time would have been unable to renew without this change is obviously false, because failure to renew the Medicare contract would have cost the company millions of dollars. According to an article in the Star Tribune, 18,000 Minnesotans work out at Life Time as part of their Medicare coverage, which equals to income for the company of more than $1,000,000 a month or $12,000,000 per year from one state alone. Here's the link: https://www.startribune.com/life-time-limits-gym-access-medicare-seniors-prioritizing-other-members-fitness-elderly-insurance/600302785/. Life Time's third quarter 2023 net income dropped from $24.7 million in third quarter 2022 to $7.9 million in third quarter 2023. Here's the link from Life Time itself: https://ir.lifetime.life/news-events/press-releases/detail/1029/life-time-reports-third-quarter-fiscal-2023-financial. Life Time's stock has been anemic. Stock grader on Barron's has downgraded the stock from "hold" to "sell." The company can't afford to lose the Medicare market.

It's trying to boost revenue by either forcing Medicare members to pay more to use the facility at any time or to use the facility during off-peak hours to free up capacity to be able to increase its membership. This new policy is clearly discriminatory, because it singles out a particular group for inequitable treatment based upon age and socio-economic status. The company is violating its own non-discrimination policy which prevents discrimination based on age. Even though I could pay to use the facility at any time, I deeply resent that the company has decided to discriminate against me and others like me to improve its bottom line. There were and are other options. One of which is incentivizing all members to use the facility during off peak hours. If you're a senior, join another gym. #LifeTimeDiscriminates

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

js8864 — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:25:36 GMT

i absolutely agree that this is age discrimination. It is yet another way to marginalize seniors. It is demoralizing. The gym I go to is 1/2 mile from my home and it is never over crowded during the hours I am there. I also pay an additional $200 for Pilates classes. I will likely leave the club.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

js8864 — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:32:46 GMT

This is a horrible business decision & yet another way to demoralize and marginalize seniors. Most attend the club in the hours you are prescribing and the ones that don’t do not created any kind of overcrowded-ness or issues for other members. This decision isolates a good part of the population you as a business in our community should be supporting. In addition to my Medicare benefits, I pay $200/month for Pilates classes. When I leave the club, you will lose that revenue as well as the other revenue seniors bring.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

js8864 — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:35:17 GMT

I agree with you 100% and will be leaving Lifetime as well. This new policy is demoralizing and marginalizing seniors.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

js8864 — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:35:43 GMT

Absolutely agree!

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

js8864 — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:37:13 GMT

This is completely BS because the company receives millions from Medicare and only a small percentage of those seniors use the club on a regular basis if at all.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

js8864 — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:38:05 GMT

On top of this, only a fraction of those members the company is collecting from Medicare actually attend the club on a regular basis.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

js8864 — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:38:29 GMT

Absolutely agree w you.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

JillS901961 — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 20:43:39 GMT

I spoke with Silver & Fit, the company managing our Medicare fitness benefits for VIVA Medicare, regarding the original notification about reduced hours. I discovered two important things that add to this conversation: (1) The amount LTF receives from our Medicare plan is roughly ⅓ of the normal price of an individual membership. At least through our plan they aren't getting a full membership amount. If this is indeed the case throughout the U.S., as awful as the whole thing is, it's not actually ageism. But, the second thing I was told was the LTF was discontinuing Medicare memberships completely, effective January 2025. That has not been made clear in any communications coming from anyone associated with these memberships. Perhaps that's only in my state (AL), but I doubt it. Since LTF went public and is now a stockholder concern, I have seen a decline in the club. Another factor—and as a 73-year old retired teacher I have seen this personally—our generation may very well be the last generation with any sense of brand loyalty. As a group, we typically not only stay with something good, but are free to promote it as well. And, at least in my experience at our club, it's the men my age that pick up after themselves. The majority of the mounds of towels strewn about rarely, if ever, come from our hands. Removing this demographic will lead to greater attrition, not larger memberships. And finally, to make a decision of this magnitude from the boardrooms of the corporate headquarters, and then mandate it for all the clubs, with no regard for geographic differences is, at the end of the day, short-sighted and just plain bad business. I too have written LTF HQ and heard nothing back.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

jmtredwood28 — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 15:46:45 GMT

I am saving your response and will send it to you when you become a Senior Citizen. Then you will be able to determine if anyone (you) is offended or not. What comes around goes around.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

JillS901961 — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 16:39:33 GMT

IIs it true that Medicare memberships will be completely discontinued effective January 1, 2025? That's what I was told by Silver & Fit. If that's the case, that information should be made available now so that seniors don't adjust to the new hours only to have to pay full or find another facility in 2025.

Re: Lifetime Fitness Hours Limited

ARoninLiberal — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 23:22:07 GMT

It is discriminatory. If they had created a tier system which any adult had access to limited hours at a reduced rate and then put the Medicare members in that tier, it would have been fair and legal. But they created a lower tier based solely on age and/disability. Its method is also similar to redlining in real estate. They’re trying to pretend it’s not about the person they are supposed to be treating equally.