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Regular Contributor

Silver Sneakers being droped by AARP recommended insurer

I guess like all who have the "silver sneakers" card will become another worthless trash item.

United Health Care will discontinue your membership starting 1/1/18.

I am glad I went and purchased my own gym since but it is my guess that many others

do not have the money or the room for it like I do.

I had been using mine for treadmill and sauna during the cold times. the rest of the year i was

wlaking locally or golf course walking and swinging.

 

I think AARP might just search out another insurance company....as I might do on my own.....

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Regular Contributor

This is what happens when you sell your soul to the highest bidder.  Perhaps it is time for the decision-makers at AARP to reflect seriously upon their core values.  If it's more important to keep the doors open by auctioning off your name than to adhere to the core values, then it's time for new leadership at AARP.  

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I am definitely not happy about losing Silver Sneakers, not happy about a raise in my premiums, not happy about the cutting back of services while charging me more, and then AARP not standing up to defend keeping all of the Silver Sneakers program! Don’t ask me for any more donations! I don’t want a wellness coach, a registered nurse to call, videos, etc. I want Silver Sneakers and not at half price, either! What a shady deal announcing all this after the open enrollment deadline. It’s like you all bait people to enroll with you, then you screw folks who are on a fixed income. Health care insurance in America is getting to be a real joke. It’s a bait and steal game and seniors are the ones left holding an empty bag!

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Contributor

I am upset that AARP is dropping silver sneakers 

So I am switching my supplimental insurance to Blue shield of California starting January 2019

It was a dumb move by AARP. 

BY BY AARP

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Contributor

California has the birthday rule. Which means on you birthday you can switch to another company without going to underwriting.  I will be switching in January to Blue Shield who still offers Silver Sneakers.  At which time I will also drop my AARP membership. 

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Contributor

I agree - the only reason I selected the AARP health provider was the FREE Siver Sneakers benefit.  I will be dropping this "health" insurance as soon as possible!

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Regular Contributor

We did receive notice from United Health Care about the time this thread started.  Our subsequent emails regarding increased premiums for next year did not mention anything about this, no surprise.

 

We have not received any info regarding it from any of the gyms we have membership in, but I guess it is not their concern since our membership is via Silver Sneakers.  I am very surprised that I don't think we have received any notification from Silver Sneakers that our membership will be ending at the end of the year under the conditions of which we have membership.  They must know so it seems like they missed a marketing opportunity..  

 

We are fortunate that we can change to Blue Shielf effective Jan 1 and are looking forward to not giving UHC our money.  Obviously not everyone takes advantage of the Silver Sneakers option, so maybe UHC just doesn't care.   For a lower monthly premium, we will not only keep Silver Sneakers but will also have an allowance for vision care (that we can use at Costco), a personal emergency device (which I won't admit to owning yet) and an allowance at a hearing aid center (that we probably won't use because we are sold on Costco for this).  

 

I was worried that UHC leaving Silver Sneakers would open the door for others to do the same.  My agent doesn't think that will happen and I hope he is right.

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Regular Contributor

As I've stated recently I've canceled my UHC plan F that I've had for 12 years and went to Aetna plan G. My savings will pay for my wife's and my gym costs with some left over. I went to a different Part D and save over $1,200 annually. The bad news, my wife cannot leave UHC because of previous conditions (that occured over the past 5 years since she's been on UHC plan F - she has been on UHC plan F for 11 years) so I applied for UHC plan G for her. The insurance agent said it would save approximately $500 annually but after underwriting the plan G ended up to be $1,200 a year more expensive than the current plan F. What a kick. We are going to fight the underwriting because they came up with some really weird conditions they claim my wife has but in the meantime I'll keep her on the UHC plan F. What a circle  jerk.

 

 

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Periodic Contributor

Sorry your agent did not know this.

AARP/UHC says that you can move form one plan to another, internally. Prior to October 1, 2018, they touted this benefit as your being able to do it any time you wished, with no Underwriting required.
What is not disclosed is the fact that when you are already a customer and then move to another plan within the company, underwriting or not, you pay a different rate than the street/published rate. You are far better going to a Plan G, or better, Plan N, with a different carrier. See www.PlanNMedicare.org

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You can find a list of health plans in your state that offer SilverSneakers here:

 

https://tools.silversneakers.com/Eligibility/HealthPlans

 

Click on the company logo for specific plans that offer the benefit, as it may not be all plans in an area (as others have noted).

 

There's also an article with more background about this change (and the cool reception) here:

 

https://khn.org/news/seniors-steamed-over-cuts-to-silversneakers-fitness-program/

 

 

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Periodic Contributor

FYI, your link does not work. I did find the names of participating companies but they just list the current companies for 2018. The list doesn't show that AARP United Healthcare Supplemental Insurance plan for 2019 is dropping Silver Sneakers. I'm so surprised that AARP let UCH get away with that. They are replacing it with a program through Optum called Health Your Way. Enrollees will be required to pay half of the gym membership. I was never notified by AARP or UHC of this change. I heard it from my gym. They don't have details. UHC can only tell me Silver Sneakers is terminating at the end of December and that a letter was sent out (probably after open enrollment ended). I could have enrolled in a group plan and continued with Silver Sneakers, but it is too late for 2019. I can't enroll in the new plan until Jan. 1 so my gym membership is up in the air. I also go to 3 different gyms and it sounds like I will only be able to go to one now. No one has been able to answer that question. All I know is that I'm goning to be out of pocket for my limited choices.

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What about this link doesn't work?  Just enter your state in the drop-down on the destination page and you'll get a list of companies contracted with SilverSneakers:

 

https://tools.silversneakers.com/Eligibility/HealthPlans

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Hello, The main reason this link doesn't work at this time is AARP/UHC is dropping Silver Sneakers for 2019, but if you try to look up participating health providers at this time, it only shows participating health providers for 2018. So it does you no good at all when you're losing Silver Sneakers at the end of 2018 and you're trying to find a participating health provider for 2019. So you're out of luck getting any helpful, relevant information with this link / Silver Sneakers webpage. 

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FYI, The above post was a reply to:
ChadM736467
‎12-20-2018 02:38 PM
What about this link doesn't work? Just enter your state in the drop-down on the destination page and you'll get a list of companies contracted with SilverSneakers:
https://tools.silversneakers.com/Eligibility/HealthPlans

Still trying to figure out how to connect reply to original post - let's see if 'Quick Reply' button does it better than 'Reply' button.
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Honored Social Butterfly


@rm7295 wrote:


Still trying to figure out how to connect reply to original post - let's see if 'Quick Reply' button does it better than 'Reply' button.

To identify and "quote" all or part of a particular post you are responding to -

1.  Hit the REPLY button

2.  When the text box appears, Hit the "QUOTE" button

 

From there you can edit the QUOTE, if needed, and then add your comments, then hit "POST".

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Contributor

AARP has made a bad decision. I will not join AARP again and will use United Healthcare again. 

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Periodic Contributor

Everyone needs to write a letter to UHC, since they don't have an email address and let them know of our extreme dissappointment!!!

 

United Health Care

POBox 30607

Salt Lake City, Utah   84130-0607

 

Flood them with letters!!!!

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Periodic Contributor

As soon as I can secure another supplement I will cancel UHC.  Even if I never used Silver Sneakers it’s a slap in the face of each of us.  My wife has UHC through the state of NC and they did NOT lose Silver Sneakers.  Her premium is basically nothing each month and I pay $182.. Totally unbelievable.....

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Periodic Contributor

Agreed 100%. Let’s not allow UHC to rest one minute without bashing them and AARP.
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Periodic Contributor

It only tells you what companies are contracted with Silver Sneakers in 2018. So, that information is only good for another 10 days or so. It would have been nice if there was was a list of companies that are contracted with Silver Sneakers for 2019 posted before the open enrollment deadline earlier this month.
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Regular Contributor

ChadM736467-the link only shows the Insurance Companies by State that offer Silver Sneakers RIGHT NOW. 

 

It does NOT show us who will be offering Silver Sneakers beginning January 1, 2019.

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Periodic Contributor

Optum is only availble with the Advantage Plan and not Supplemental insurance.  I was told that it is also going to be discontinued.  

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Periodic Contributor

The deciding factor for enrolling with AARP United Heath Care was Silver Sneakers. Looking at other options now. Shame on you for changing the terms.

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I agree!  And plan to do the same.

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Periodic Contributor

Not entirely true. Seniors will have to pay 50 percent of the gym membership. Many seniors will just opt out of going to the gym if they are forced to pay. How does this help us, AARP?
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Periodic Contributor

Not good news. It is my understanding according to the letter I received that you will get 50 percent off a membership under this new plan. Many seniors will simply drop out of going to the gym if they are forced to pay anything. Great idea for our health!

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Regular Contributor

They have no participating clubs in CA.  They want me to download flyers and take them in.  I guess I have to do their work for them?

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actually I called 1-888-887-5963 this morning and found out my club in CALIF  - Fitness19 is in the new program

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Periodic Contributor

It’s still not much of a benefit to loose Silver Sneakers and then end up paying 50% of a membership fee. Especially if you and your spouse both will have to pay 50% each,,, seems like that adds up to 100% for 2 folks.

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Periodic Contributor

Wow.  Not a good business practice.  I have only been a member of the UnitedHealthCare plan for less than a month and I am already planning on switching to Aetna.  Aetna does have the Silver Sneaker program.  I want nothing to do with anything tied to Optum.  Check the thread on Optum RX as well as other information\reviews of Optum RX on the internet.  Read the thousands of complaints and info on several class action lawsuits involving United, Cigna and Optum.  Also, goverment reviewing some practices for possible criminal activities.  Does AARP really want to be associated with such companies.  I have be going through Hell with my first mail ordrer prescription submitted by my doctor.  No more.  Can't wait for the open enrollment period to get here.

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Newbie

I am angry. Access to silver sneakers was one of the reasons I chose to go with United Healthcare and now, months later, I find out that it is no longer included? I realize that AARP is not responsible - that it's a United Healthcare thing - but I still hold AARP accountable because they advertise that this is the only plan backed by AARP. I see advertisements for it constantly. Yet, here we are. 

Totally unacceptable. 

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