topic Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025 in Medicare & Insurance

AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

js22 — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 04:44:03 GMT

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.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

GailL1 — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:03:21 GMT

@js22 If it is like other gym connected exercise programs built in as an extra benefit to an Insurance plans - you have to look at the programs (gym) sponsors website and then find the respective program name and which gym location has the program and then which location.

It seems more like that the gym location would be dropping the insurer since itis the insurer that says what they will pay them and then the gym would say yea or nay via a contract agreement.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

DavidG962812 — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 18:58:52 GMT

My wife & I both received the letter from UHC stating that "Premium" gyms would no longer be covered under our Advantage Plan for 2025. So, I had a Chat with a UHC rep who assured me that our Premium gym (Lifetime Fitness) was covered for 2025. Then I received an email from Lifetime stating the UHC was dropping them from our coverage for 2025. Well, I called UHC and was told that Lifetime was correct and UHC was not covering their membership for 2025. I asked why the 2025 Plan description on UHC's website stilled showed Lifetime as a covered gym? The answer was, UHC has not updated their website yet, but it would be corrected sometime in early December. So, PEOPLE WHO SIGN UP FOR A 2025 UHC ADVANTAGE PLAN DURING THE ENROLEMENT PERIOD WON'T FIND OUT "PREMIUM GYMS" ARE NOT COVERED UNTIL THE ENROLEMENT PERIOD ENDS. Good one UHC.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

GailL1 — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 19:24:53 GMT

The “Gottcha’ phenomenon

I’m not involved in this so what happens if you have this type of extra benefit and then for some reason you can no longer access the benefit - do they drop your premiums ?

I think for extra stuff like this and other lost leader type benefits, people would be better off getting it on their own and not worry about what a health insurer is gonna be doing.

ESPECIALLY if it is connected to a Medigap plan which is not so easily switched in many states. Might be ok for a MA plan cause you can pick a new one of those every year during AEP.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

js22 — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 02:00:05 GMT

I chose AARP/UHC plan G because it was the only company to offer community priced plans. Because I am an AARP member, I get the wellness benefits for free. The reason I joined the gym I did was because they offered 2 free sessions and mentioned that with Renew Active, visits would be free after those 2 sessions. I’m not into those big gyms where the goal is to meet people and show off your latest exercise gear. So the one I chose is just perfect for me- the studio is small, and you have a personal coach for the 20 minutes. Nice & peaceful too!

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

js22 — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 18:46:12 GMT

Hard to know. Having insurance pay less for their people to visit a gym helps up the gym’s membership & gives them some additional money.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

DavidG962812 — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 18:09:12 GMT

On our Advantage plan the premium is $0, so can't be dropped any further 😂. For 2025 the UHC fitness plan dropped our preferred gym (only one in the area that has pickleball courts). The Rewards benefit continues the walking 5000 steps per day $10/mo reward and flu shot $5 reward but dropped the OTC $40/quarter reward. A membership at the gym UHC dropped coverage for will cost ~$200/mo for the two of us so, a significant cost increase on top of the other reductions.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

CharlesC296805 — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 21:45:16 GMT

FYI, UHC is constantly trying to reach out to all gyms and health facilities to participate. It is locations like LIFETIME Fitness that decide to continue or not. This year, for example, LIFETIME Fitness decided to limit the access times for seniors at a large facility in the Twin Cities, MN. So call them to complain or the other facilities that tell you it is the insurance carrier that does this because that is incorrect. These are businesses that receive money from the carriers for a Basic membership to all of the facilities in the Renew Active program, so in essence, they begin to lose money when the Seniors that have that complimentary membership and are in there from preventing Premier paying members quality time or access, that's one of the reasons that Lifetime Fitness reduced the access times for Seniors.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

DavidG962812 — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 18:13:25 GMT

I would agree if UHC was dropping only high end facilities but they have also dropped the YMCA, a not for profit organization. UHC has reduced their funding rates so much that only basic gyms with limited activities and facilities for seniors can afford to contract with them.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

DavidG962812 — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 18:21:56 GMT

IHC Advantage plans are not only reducing funding for Renew gym access but other benefits also; eg: the $40/quarter OTC is gone. I get it, it’s a business and they are managing their costs. For me the reductions make other Medicare Advantage plan providers a better value. Eg:Silver Sneakers currently still includes Lifetime Fitness.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

KeithC724412 — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 17:21:49 GMT

Agree. UHC dropped the Y where I live in NC, and it is not a “premium” facility by any stretch of the imagination. When I asked folks at the Y they said nobody from UHC contacted the regional office to explain that they had been removed from the plan, otherwise they would have tried to work something out with them. I don’t get it?

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

GailL1 — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 18:11:37 GMT

@DavidG962812

But even YMCA locations are clumped by area and thus work by areas. Like this from the YMCA of Western North Carolina - this is dated 01/2023 - I do not know if this has been updated since then - they also may not take it now.

Nothing is ever for sure unless it is included directly in the contract and not as a supplement to the contract. That goes for both MA plans and Medigap plans.

YMCA of Western North Carolina Medicare Advantage and Supplement Plan Partners Updated January 2023

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

CharlesC296805 — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 01:43:46 GMT

Where are you getting your information from? CMS has reduced the funding for all carriers for 2025, therefore as part of the reduced funding, as an example, the OTC and many benefits have been reduced for many carriers, not just UHC. Just look online at all the carriers and their benefits to see the differences between this year and next year in 2025.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

DavidG962812 — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 02:23:30 GMT

Agreed, but if the carrier's website has not been updated (eg: UHC Advantage plans still list Lifetime as included) then it's tough to know what you're signing up for. Also, in my initial communication with UHC via Chat I was told Lifetime was 'definitely" included for 2025 so I assume they were just reading the website data to me.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

LisaT742060 — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:57:34 GMT

I was going to sign up for United healthcare now due to losing EXERCISE COACH. I will go elsewhere. I am so mad.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

js22 — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 18:12:43 GMT

i went to the Exercise Coach today and once again we talked about UHC Renew Active dropping the Exercise Coach. I told her that people are thinking it was actually The Exercise Coach that dropped UHC Renew Active, but that is not true. UHC contacted the Exercise Coach corporate to tell them they were being dropped.

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

LisaT742060 — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 19:21:34 GMT

Was it EXERCISE COACH you were going to, I just started going there and so mad it won’t be covered in 2025

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

LisaT742060 — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 19:23:16 GMT

My exercise coach said they heard a rumor corporate was looking at Blue Cross Blue Shield program. Have you heard that? Maybe they will be joining Silver sneakers instead

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

js22 — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 20:30:26 GMT

Yes, the Exercise Coach. It was just perfect for my needs as it was not self-directed!

did you verify that it was not available in your area? When I do a search for participating gyms , at the top of the page with the results, it states “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.“‘

Re: AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

js22 — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 20:33:38 GMT

I haven’t heard that. But I went thru underwriting once and my monthly premium is higher due to that; I wouldn’t think of trying to switch again just to have the Exercise Coach paid for. Who knows if I could make it thru underwriting again.