AARP/UHC Renew Active change for 2025

[js22]

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.

[mary335ix]

I found out today that my UHC AARP advantage plan no longer has RENEW.   I’ve been going to a fitness center for 3 years and Received no notification Renew was eliminated.  
so angry 

[GailL1]

@mary335ix 

Medicare Advantage plans have to be renewed EVERY year during open enrollment from Oct 7 - Dec 15 - During that fall period your plan is suppose to send you an updated Explanation of Coverage with ALL the things that would be changing for the policy that takes effect for the next year.  IF you want to keep the plan for the next year then you take no action and the plan will renew.  If you want to make a change to a new Medicare Advantage plan then you pick it and your Medicare account will be updated with the new policy and the old one drops off - this all takes effect on 01/01 for the next year.

I assume that dropping this extra benefit of gym membership would have been one of the things that changed in your Medicare Advantage plan but there may also be some changes that might effect your healthcare too - like network changes, formulary changes, copays or deductibles and total out of pocket cost.

There were many changes in the plan for 2025 especially in the formulary area.  You might just check these changes and if they are also gonna affect you too.

[MjU496197]

 I was told that there were gyms that I could still use with renew active and they gave me the phone number of the gym I could go to.... its in Ohio. I live in Colorado. DUH

[SpringIsHereVA]

[Thursday 3/6/25] @MjU496197 , gone are the days when there was good Customer Service. Did you call them back? Take care, Nicole  👵

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[*** @MjU496197 wrote:

 I was told that there were gyms that I could still use with renew active and they gave me the phone number of the gym I could go to.... its in Ohio. I live in Colorado. DUH ***]

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[SpringIsHereVA]

[3/1/25] @js22 , awesome post and was wondering IF you had any UPDATES to share with us. Thanks, Nicole  👵

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[*** @js22 wrote:

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. ***]

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[js22]

no updates. If you have UHC supplement or Medicare advantage plan, you can login to their site, click on health & wellness & then ‘find a gym’.

it sounds like supplements keep the premium gyms except those that were removed from the renew active network, and Medicare advantage has no premium gyms- but this could be location dependent.

[mary335ix]

my fitness center asked for my Renew number -called UHC & was told I no longer have Renew under my plan through AARP UHC advantage.   

[SpringIsHereVA]

[3/1/25] I appreciate your response @js22 !!! Thanks, Nicole  👵

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[*** @js22 wrote:

no updates. If you have UHC supplement or Medicare advantage plan, you can login to their site, click on health & wellness & then ‘find a gym’.

it sounds like supplements keep the premium gyms except those that were removed from the renew active network, and Medicare advantage has no premium gyms- but this could be location dependent. ***]

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[tj24518109]

The loss of the gym membership has left me baffled. I guess the desired option is to be less healthy and use more services. This change, the loss of the gym membership, is a big deal for me. Medical insurance is a racket - we need single payer. {to all be fixed by JFK jr; no doubt]

[mary335ix]

I, too, am baffled Renew is no longer part of my plan.   Outrageous how insurance keeps taking away 

[TRL1111]

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@tj24518109 wrote:

The loss of the gym membership has left me baffled. I guess the desired option is to be less healthy and use more services. This change, the loss of the gym membership, is a big deal for me.

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Are you saying your plan no longer has a Renew Active gym membership benefit at all?  I was under the impression that they just changed the benefit, eliminating some of the participating locations.  Yours dropped it entirely?

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@tj24518109 wrote:

 {to all be fixed by JFK jr; no doubt]

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Eh, I doubt it.  JFK Jr. died in a plane crash a couple of decades ago.

[mary335ix]

My Renew was fully eliminated -no more 

[TRL1111]

It's surprising that your Advantage plan dropped your gym benefit.  According to KFF, 95% of Advantage plans have a gym benefit.  And in the case of AARP/UHC, the gym benefit is provided by their own company, as opposed to other insurers that use Silver Sneakers, for example.  

Advantage plans are required to send their members an Annual Notice of Change in September of every year, detailing changes to the plan that will take effect January 1 of the next year.  Was dropping Renew Active included in that?  

My understanding is that they can't make changes to benefits without including them in the Annual Notice of Change.

[SpringIsHereVA]

[2/23/25] I agree @tj24518109 , the gyms helped to keep us OLD people healthy. Nicole 👵

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[*** @tj24518109 wrote:

The loss of the gym membership has left me baffled. I guess the desired option is to be less healthy and use more services. This change, the loss of the gym membership, is a big deal for me. Medical insurance is a racket - we need single payer. {to all be fixed by JFK jr; no doubt] ***]

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[JeanineC398477]

Is it true that AARP only suggests United Healthcare? that AARP take a 4.95 % royalty fee from United Healthcare?

[CarolynBI]

United Health Care is the ONLY company they suggest on their site and how they advertise it there implies they recommend it (they are careful not to outright say that). And yes they (well their for profit arm that is) get about 1.2 billion a year from their 4.95% royalty fee each of us have tacked on to our premiums (along with who knows how much more to take care of all the administrative costs of doing that) with United Healthcare that is then paid to AARP. 

[DianaR709797]

  I am also VERY unhappy about the changes for 2025 from Active & Fit.  I used Orange Theory, Exercise Coach, and Stretch Lab.  These programs keep you strong and healthy with no injuries.  It is a shame money comes before the health of older people.  

[GailL1]

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@DianaR709797 wrote:

  I am also VERY unhappy about the changes for 2025 from Active & Fit.  I used Orange Theory, Exercise Coach, and Stretch Lab.  These programs keep you strong and healthy with no injuries.  It is a shame money comes before the health of older people.  

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In this instance, they are using the money now to actually supply health care - treatments and medicines, depending on the plan type - to the older people who need them.  

Remember, Medicare, is a healthcare program that is for people age 65 to 100 + or death, whichever comes 1st.  It also takes care of those who have been declared disabled or who need treatment for ESRD or ALS - so probably high real healthcare users.

If the wellness exercise program is important to you and your health and well-being - carry on with your own health dollars cause I am sure that many on Medicare would rather have their necessary treatments, procedures and medicines are covered.  

It is the actual use of the dollars and where the beneficiaries find need of them - you may feel this way too when and if the need arises.  

[sg65301371]

SO strange the idea that Preventing illness is not considered a great way to lower health care costs.  We just want to wait and then treat it after the fact.

[SpringIsHereVA]

[2/24/25] @sg65301371 , it is going to get worst next year 2026. Before I was old, I was impressed with what the now gone old timers had told me. Yes, gym memberships and other incentives to stay healthy (e.g. gift cards). Oh well! Nicole 👵

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[*** @sg65301371 wrote:

SO strange the idea that Preventing illness is not considered a great way to lower health care costs.  We just want to wait and then treat it after the fact. ***]

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[DavidG962812]

I certainly hope so because according to the VerifyThis website UHC denies claims at a rate of 33% whereas the health care industry average is 5-10%. Since UHC is the largest health care insurance company in the country others denial rates must be really low to get the industry average % down that far.

Our personal experience has been UHC denying a test my wife’s cardiologist requested. He went ahead with other tests only to have UHC come back 3 months later and say they would now approve the original test. So, it doesn’t matter to UHC if a doctor believes a test is required. What matters is has it been a year (or some time period) since the test was last performed.

Very interesting how this “Premium Gyms” issue has put a spotlight on the health care insurance companies' practices.

[DavidG962812]

I should add that just yesterday UHC posted a webpage stating that they pay about 90% of claims and any other numbers being discussed online purporting to be the UnitedHealthcare approval rate are wrong. Whose data is correct??? Maybe Oz can figure it out.

[BarbaraD746503]

You can get a SUPPLEMENT plan (United Healthcare, etc.) that WILL include premium gyms BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL COST OF AROUND $182 ABOVE THE AMOUNT THAT IS CURRENTLY TAKEN OUT OF YOUR S.S. CHECK so your monthly cost will double.  There are Medicare Advantage Ins. companies that give you back $105/month (add it to your S.S. check) so you can actually sign up for the "Auroa" plan with LifeTime Fitness (for example) for $100/mo. (cost of the give-back amount) that gives you the same access as you had with the Premium club through Renew Active in 2024.

[PaulJ784063]

Cost depends on the state where you live. Supplemental for me (NY) costs nearly 300/month. 

[sg65301371]

Yes but then you are with an Advantage plan and no longer have the benefits we all wanted when we signed up for a supplement plan

[ClaudiaB949628]

The United HealthCare supplement plan I am enrolled in costs $ 157 per month (over and above what they take out of my Social Security for Medicare). They have eliminated some (not all) of the "Premium" gyms, like Club Pilates and Orange Theory in 2025, but will still allow free access to the  premium "big box" gyms like Ochsner Fitness here in New Orleans. So I think we are all seeing the same reduction in benefits from UHC, whether we are on traditional Medicare (with a costly supplement), or a Medicare Advantage plan. I chose traditional Medicare so my coverage will be intact for medical care (not just emergency care) in other states when I'm traveling. I chose not to change supplement plans right now because I'm a relatively new retiree and didn't want to deal with the hassle of going through applying and underwriting with another carrier.  But I may research other options next year, as this discussion thread has alerted me to the variable coverage denial rates for different health insurance companies, and UHC's is higher than average.

Some of the smaller "premium" gyms are offering discounts to their senior members for 2025 so check with your local club.

[JillR908616]

That’s great to hear. Do you know if these premium additions also include Club Pilates, Stretch Lab and Exercise Coach? It would be worth it if that were the case. 

[BarbaraC621131]

Very disappointed in United healthcare the premiums went up and they dropped the best fitness for the seniors Club Pilates was very good, I’m gonna look also for another health insurance. That includes better gyms. This is terrible

[hortensiaperez]

I am so upset about this. I have UHC only because of their Renew Active program’s premium gyms benefit. It may sound like a silly reason for many but the highlight of my UHC Medicare Advantage plan and the reason I chose UHC is  because of their Renew Active Fitness program due to it including the premium gyms such as OrangeTheory, Club Pilates, Lifetime etc. I have been taking advantage of this and feel strong and healthy because I attend the classes at OrangeTheory and Club Pilates and Lifetime. They are effective and motivating and it’s a great way for seniors to enjoy many of their classes and amenities. 

i am a fit and healthy 69 yo and going to the gym every day is a huge help to stay that way throughout my later years.  I am thankful that I am not on a bunch of prescription meds.
it appears that Medicare and the health insurance industry wants to “push” people to more prescription meds instead of helping seniors avoid that by being and staying fit and healthy. 

It is becoming more and more obvious that the “health” insurance industry is nothing about health. It’s all about their profits and their monetary relationship with big pharma.  So sad.