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- Re: Silver Sneakers One size does not Fit All
Silver Sneakers One size does not Fit All
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Silver Sneakers One size does not Fit All
There is another gym in town that totally fits my requirements. Open, spacious, a delightful and very large pool area, and yet, I can't take advantage of my Unitedhealthcare perk to join it.
I joined UNitedhjealthcare because I felt I could justify the premium it covered gym membership. Well it does, but not for me. Does anyone else have this problem?
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I think it's a done deal. For us, it amounts to a $50/month premium increase all by itself, since that's what it will cost us to keep the Silver Sneakers gym membership at the new "special" rate of 50% off.
We got Silver Sneakers in our Plan F. It looks like BCBS Plan F's still have Silver Sneakers next year. We're looking at switching to the Blues.
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You can go to any gym or fitness facility that participates in Silver Sneakers give them your name, address (you don’t need to even tell them who your insurance is) and they can tell you using the Silver Sneakers database if you have that benefit.
My AARP/United Healthcare supplement plan includes Silver Sneakers.
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@tackless1 wrote:
Where did this info come from?
I assume you are talking to Betty10139?
I don't have an AARP Medicare plan of any type.
But This disclosure is on the Silver Sneakers website
SilverSneakers - AARP Silver Sneakers Program
The SilverSneakers program is made available as a courtesy by UnitedHealthcare to AARP Medicare Supplement Plan holders insured by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (UnitedHealthcare) and are not part of insurance coverage and may be discontinued at any time. Availability of the SilverSneakers program varies by plan/market. AARP does not endorse and is not responsible for the services or information provided by this program.
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RE: AARP dropping Silver ZZSneakers 1/1/18:
Yes, and when I called about it the rep gave me false information.
She claimed Silver Sneakers is no longer offered in Texas as if it is dropped on the Silver Sneakers end. It is actually AARP / UHC cutting benefits.
I am very disappointed and looking at other options.
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The simple answer:
Silver Sneakers is a perk from United Health Care probably from way back as a sales tool. Just as your coverage has nothing to due with AARP, neither does SS. It is in the fine print somewhere that they don't have to continue providing these added benefits. There is really nothing that we can do as it appears that UHC is stopping SS on all their plans not just our J plan. What do we do, threaten to cancel a plan that they undoubtedly want to get read of anyway. Time to move on.
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The economic value of of SS is somewhere between $150 and $700 per year depending on which which athletic facility you choose. This value is not simply a "perk", it is part of the value equation which UHC has chosen to abandon. Perhaps AARP members should choose to abandon UHC and question why AARP has elected to continue to promote UHC when they have so profoundly snubbed our membership.
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Odd that Silver Sneakers does not appear to have a list of insurance companies that have this benefit. The only thing I can find on their web site is the ability to check whether or not my current company provides membership. I'd like to know before I pick my next insurance company. Did I miss something?
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@tackless1 wrote:Odd that Silver Sneakers does not appear to have a list of insurance companies that have this benefit. The only thing I can find on their web site is the ability to check whether or not my current company provides membership. I'd like to know before I pick my next insurance company. Did I miss something?
Like the other poster today said, you have to check with the insurers and personally,nInwould get it in writing.
However, then you have to check every year for continued coverage because it is a special benefit and is not required by Medicare to be a benefit.
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Well, after a little more digging I found a tab on the SS web site that takes you to the companies that have SS (this doesn't mean it's in the individual companies plan everywhere). On this page you have to select your state.
https://tools.silversneakers.com/Eligibility/HealthPlans?state=VA
I did miss something? I never gave it a thought that moving from one Medicare Plan to another would invoke PRECONDITIONS!!!.
Right now my premium is $201 and will jump to about $240 next year. This is what I got from agents at both UHC and USAA. If I change my plan from J to F I first would loose the "early enrollment discount" of 12% you get for signing up at 65. Because I have a precondition (they only count one thank God, I have 5) my premium would jump from $201 a month to about $310. With the increases next year it would jump to about $350. I was told that preconditions are not determined by Medicare in the plans, but by each insurance company. What a ridiculous way for the government to set this up. I do have to give five stars to the agents that I talked to at both companies because at the end they all said I was better off staying where I am (you think!).
Even without preconditions, the F plan would only be about $15 dollars less than my current monthly payment. At my age of 73, F $185, current J $210. Not worth changing in my opinion considering the complexity of the decision to be made and F is going out in 2020.
As to Silver Sneakers. Their agent said that my UHC plan is listed for next year and he thought that was good. Like all the info on the web, "Trust But Verify"
@GailL1 wrote:
@tackless1 wrote:Odd that Silver Sneakers does not appear to have a list of insurance companies that have this benefit. The only thing I can find on their web site is the ability to check whether or not my current company provides membership. I'd like to know before I pick my next insurance company. Did I miss something?
Like the other poster today said, you have to check with the insurers and personally, I would get it in writing. Good luck with that!!
However, then you have to check every year for continued coverage because it is a special benefit and is not required by Medicare to be a benefit. Unless it is in the contract, I think in all probability insurers can cancell this any time they want to.
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https://tools.silversneakers.com/Eligibility/HealthPlans
You can type your state and the plans are listed.
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Thanks! Your link to the SS web site was very helpful. In Oklahoma, UHC has dropped SS for all their offering except the Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans. The same is true of Blue Cross, Coventry and Humana. I will have to explore that option and figure out if the coverage is as good as my Part B plan F coverage plus Part D.
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On the Silver Sneakers website -'sorry, I thought that was the place where you were looking but remember this is a special benefit not covered by law so it could come and go with plans - yes, it would be best if it were in the contract. And good luck with that - it seems to be more of a selling tool.
Medicare issues rules as to when people can switch plans without going through Medical underwriting. They are called Guaranteed issue rights and are described on this page of the Medicare website.
Medicare.gov - Guaranteed Issue Rights
Medicare describes switching Medigap policies here
Medicare.gov -'Switching Medigap policies
Medigap policies are private insurance Supplemental policies - people who choose traditional Medicare don't have to have one - it is not required, in fact, a lot of people do not have them. Since they are a supplemental plan, all Medicare stipulates is what benefits are covered and how by the various plans and when one can get a supplemental plan without medical underwriting as governed by the Guaranteed issue rules.
Since these are private insurance plans, the insurers can set their own prices for each of the plans and determine medical underwriting. They can set their prices in a variety of ways. The insurance companies, unless you have guaranteed issue rights, can even deny you coverage for a Medigap plan.
Medicare.gov - Cost of Medigap policies
It is good that you are weighing your options, we all need to do that occasionally.
Sorry that Medicare isn't all that you expected it to be -
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Of course I will also pay &110.50 a month for Medicare.
Silver Sneakers ... sounds a lot like my Silver&Fit.
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I live in Alabama and have been enjoying a free membership at the YMCA which is a wonderful gym and pool for the last 2 years. I just got a letter from AARP (United Healthcare) saying they were no longer going to offer Silver Sneakers in Alabama. I'm really upset that they are so ignorant not to realize the preventative health care is well worth their paying for gym memberships. Humana Supplementary Insurance does support the Silver Sneakers program here in my city so I'm seriously thinking about switching over to them!
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