Which Is Better Medicare Advantage Or Supplements
Its important to know that Medicare Advantage plans are much different than Medicare supplement plans and you cannot have both at the same time. While Silver Sneakers is a nice perk, it may not be reason enough to choose one policy over the other. Its a good idea to discuss the differences with an independent agent before enrolling.
How Can I Enroll In An Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan With Silversneakers
You can find out which Aetna Medicare Advantage plans are available near you and whether or not they include a SilverSneakers membership.
You may enroll in an Aetna Medicare Advantage plan beginning 3 months before your 65th birthday, the month of your birthday or up to 3 months following your birthday. If you choose not to enroll at this time, you may be able to sign up for a plan during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, also called the Medicare Fall Open Enrollment Period, which lasts from October 15 to December 7 every year.
Silversneakers & Silver Fit
SilverSneakers is for seniors with select Medicare supplemental insurance policies. This unique program allows older adults to take charge of their health and maintain an active, independent lifestyle. If an individual has this option on their health insurance plan they will receive a free adult membership to the Y.
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How Do You Get A Membership
SilverSneakers list of participating health plans changes over time. For example, the parent company, Tivity Health, Inc., dropped some plans around 2016 while it redefined its mission and restructured. In 2020, eight new health plans will offer SilverSneakers.
If you have a preferred gym or fitness studio, ask if they partner with SilverSneakers. You can also check with your plan provider or the SilverSneakers website.
Look for access within your Medicare Advantage plan. The best time to do so is when you enroll in a new plan or review an existing one during the annual open enrollment period between October 15 and December 7. You can also make SilverSneakers one of the criteria for selecting your Medicare Supplement plan.
Check here for Medicare plans in your state that include SilverSneakers.
How Can I Enroll In Or Switch To Silver Sneakers
You are able to add a Medicare advantage or supplemental insurance plan with Silver Sneakers benefits to your insurance, when you first become eligible, and enroll in original Medicare, typically when you turn 65 . You will have an initial enrollment period for Medicare that lasts from 6 months prior to 6 months past your 65th birthday. If you miss this time period, you may be able to join a supplemental policy at a later time, but you wont have a guaranteed right to be accepted anymore. If you plan on adding a Medicare advantage plan at a later time, you may do so each year in fall during the Open Enrollment period, which is each year in fall. If you missed the open enrollment, you have to wait, and enroll between October 15 and December 7 or switch to a Medicare advantage plan with SilverSneakers benefits. However, if a 5 Star Rated Medicare advantage plan with SilverSneakers is available to you, you may join that plan at any time during the year. Check with Medicare.gov for available 5 Star Rated Medicare advantage plans in your area.
We hope that you will find your SilverSneakers plan and can join a fun fitness class! A regular workout will not only help you improve your agility and flexibility, by improving your fitness and overall health you may even be able to reduce the amount of drugs you are required to take and cut down your prescription drug expenses!
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Do Medicare Supplements Offer The Silversneakers Program
For those who are eligible for Medicare or are 65+, the SilverSneakers® health and fitness program might be a free perk included with your Medicare plan.
Are you eligible for SilverSneakers®? Learn more about the SilverSneakers® program, which Medicare plans it comes with, and more.
â If youâre 65+ and are enrolled in Medicare, there are plans that offer free gym memberships as a part of your health insurance. It’s never been easier to get motivated and stay in shape! Learn more
How Much Does Silver Sneakers Cost
Silver Sneakers does not cost anything more than the premiums, if any, for your monthly plan. The insurance company pays the associated costs directly to Silver Sneakers.
Compare similar insurance policies, where the only difference is if Silver Sneakers is offered as a benefit or not, to make sure youre not overpaying for coverage only for Silver Sneakers.
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Does Aetna Supplemental Insurance Cover Silver Sneakers
Looking for does aetna supplemental insurance cover silver sneakers? Get direct access to does aetna supplemental insurance cover silver sneakers through official links provided below.
Follow these easy steps:
- Step 1. Go to does aetna supplemental insurance cover silver sneakers page via official link below.
- Step 2. Find the official insurance at the bottom of the website.
- Step 3. If you still cant access does aetna supplemental insurance cover silver sneakers please leave a message below .
To learn more about Aetna Medicare Advantage plans in your area that offer SilverSneakers membership, or to enroll in an Aetna Medicare Advantage plan, speak with a licensed insurance agent. You can reach one by calling 1-877-890-1409 1-877-890-1409 TTY Users: 711 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Not every Medicare Advantage plan whether through Aetna, or a different private Medicare-approved insurance company offers SilverSneakers. An Aetna Medicare Advantage plans SilverSneakers membership may also include the FLEX program, which is a network of senior fitness classes such as line dance, Latin-style dance, walking groups, and more.
What Insurance Plans Include The Silversneakers Fitness Program
SilverSneakers is a popular fitness program offered through select Medicare plans to adults ages 65 or older. Members get access to exercise classes and events held at their local gyms or fitness facilities.
Members can also participate from home using the programs on-demand video library.
The program is not covered by all parts of Medicare, and not every private insurance provider offers it as a benefit. In this guide, we will outline which providers include it in their coverage, what parts of Medicare cover it, program eligibility and more.
Several large health insurance companies provide SilverSneakers membership at no cost to enrollees.
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Do Medicare Supplement Plans Cover Silversneakers
Medicare Supplement plans are designed to help pay out-of-pocket costs with Part A and Part B . If something isnt covered by Original Medicare, it usually isnt covered by a Medicare Supplement plan. Medicare rules prohibit Medigap plans from offering extra benefits, but gym memberships such as SilverSneakers are the rare exception to the rule.
In some states, the major Medicare Supplement insurers such as Humana, BlueCross Blue Shield, AARP include SilverSneakers membership with some Medigap plans. These instances are few and far between though, as most Medigap plans do not include SilverSneakers, especially those offered by smaller insurance companies.
Silversneakers Medicare Health Plans And Locations
Original Medicare does not include this benefit, but many additional Medicare health plans offered by private insurance companies do. To find out which Medicare Advantage or Supplemental insurance plans include a SilverSneakers membership, check out the companys Medicare health plan locator. To find a participating fitness facility in your neighborhood visit the location list.
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How Seniors Can Get A Free Gym Membership
If you or a loved one qualify or receive Medicare and want to stay healthy for free then you might want to look into AARPs Medicare Silver Sneakers Fitness program.
The Silver Sneakers Fitness Program is a value added benefit offered to Medicare recipients that are enrolled in one of AARPs branded Medicare insurance programs. Other insurance providers offer the Silver Sneakers Fitness program however AARPs branded program is one of the most popular. The popularity is fueled by the AARP brand marketing. Most everyone becomes acquainted with AARP well before they are retirement age. Some people have even received AARPs marketing materials before their 50th birthday.
Do All Medicare Plans Offer Silver Sneakers
You cannot add a Silver Sneakers benefit to your Medicare Advantage coverage a plan either comes with Silver Sneakers or it does not. Some Medicare Advantage plans provide reimbursement for gym memberships or fitness programs other than the Silver Sneakers program. Original Medicare never includes a Silver Sneakers membership.
While gym access or exercise classes are a nice benefit to have, they shouldnt be the only thing you consider when choosing between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage or when choosing a specific Advantage plan. We wrote more here about choosing the right Medicare coverage.
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How Do I Know If Im Eligible
Eligibility is specific to your insurance plan. To verify that your individual coverage qualifies, please call the phone number on the back of your health insurance card to receive your Fitness ID or Confirmation Code for the program. Once the eligibility has been verified, obtain your Fitness ID or Confirmation Code as this will be required to enroll in membership.
Medicare Supplements With Silver Sneakers Membership
As a rule of thumb, more Medicare Advantage plans offer Silver Sneakers than doMedicare supplement policies. Membership availability will depend on the State where you live. Its more common to see larger insurance Medicare supplement providers offering this benefit. Many smaller companies will not.
Popular insurance companies like Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana, United Healthcare , and Medical Mutual of Ohio offer this program in many states. This benefit does not cost extra. It is included as part of your overall monthly premiums.
Taking it a step further, Silver Sneakers is one of the very few benefits that Medicare supplement insurance companies are allowed to include at no additional cost. Unlike Medicare Advantage plans, supplemental policies cannot include many ancillary benefits. Gym memberships are one of the few free service available.
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Our Licensed Insurance Agents Are Experts Who Can Answer Any Of Your Questions About Medicare
Frequently asked questions, which licensed agents can help answer:
How do I know if my prescription drugs are covered by a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan?
Before enrolling in an Advantage or Part D plan, we recommend checking if your prescription drugs are covered by the plan. You can check the plans Drug Formulary or online search tools. You can also speak with a licensed agent who can check drug coverage before you enroll.
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Does Medicare Pay For Silver Sneakers
Medicare Advantage plans are private insurance companies approved by Medicare that must offer the same benefits as original Medicare. And, many of the Medicare Advantage plans offer additional benefits such as Silver Sneakers.
What is the silver sneakers age requirements?
As long as you are eligibile for Medicare Parts A and B, you can enroll in a participating Medicare Silver Sneakers plan.
This means that the private insurance companies are picking up the bill for Silver Sneakers and passing that benefit to you as a member.
This is how you are able to get your free Silver Sneakers membership.
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Silver Sneakers: Medicare Includes It
This is a great question.
Medicare and the Silver Sneakers program go hand in hand as Silver Sneakers is the leading wellness provider for Medicare Advantage plans across the US. With nearly 10 Million members, there is a good chance your Medicare plan offers Silver Sneakers.
To check if your Medicare plan includes the Silver Sneakers program, you need to check your summary of benefits. Below is an example of what you will see in your summary of benefits booklet.
As you can see, Silver Sneakers is listed as included which means you can begin your fitness plan through Medicare Silver Sneakers immediately. If its not listed in your Medicare plans summary of benefits, then you should check Silver Sneakers Eligibility to a find a participating plan.
Checking if your health plan includes Silver Sneakers is simple.
Or, you could simply go to Google and type in Silver Sneakers followed by the city or state you live in. Below are some hypothetical examples and step-by-step instructions how you can find information on Medicare Advantage plans that offer Silver Sneakers near you. Just insert the city or state of your choice.
Silver Sneakers Tucson
Silver Sneakers Ohio
Silver Sneakers CT
Silver Sneakers LA Fitness
Which Medicare Plans Include Silversneakers
Fitness is an essential part of staying healthy. Staying fit as you age will help ensure you are healthier longer and live a vibrant life.
When retiring, we transition to a paycheck to live off social security. Cutting costs become necessary, and gym memberships are one of the first things to go.
Thankfully some options are low or no cost, which allows you to maintain your physical health. Medicare beneficiaries may have access to fitness benefits through their Medicare plan.
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What Is The Silver Sneakers Fitness Program That Aarp Offers
The Silver Sneakers Fitness program is a value added no-cost program offered to AARP Medicare Supplement insurance members. The Silver Sneakers program encourages healthy and active living. Members get a basic health club membership which gives them access to over 9,000 participating health centers across the nation. Members can access the health clubs in their home state and even when they travel around the country. Its an excellent program for snow birds that dont want to maintain or pay for two gym memberships.
Members participate in classes specifically designed for seniors. The signature classes are taught by certified trainers. Classes to teach seniors how to managing diabetes, quit smoking and lose weight are quite successful. Besides the signature classes reserved for Silver Sneakers members, members also have free access to the clubs treadmills, weights, heated pools and additional fitness classes that are offered to general members.
The Cost Of Silver Sneakers
How much will you pay for this service? In every case, Silver Sneakers is free to you. Its not something that you are charged for, which could explain why it isnt offered everywhere. It is essentially something that the insurance company pays for on its own and does not get reimbursed for, so it makes sense that they would only offer it in places where there would be a high demand for such a program or where facilities that offer it would be widely available.
If you can find Silver Sneakers available in your area through some of the Supplement plans offered by providers operating near you, then you should take advantage of it. It is something that can improve your lifestyle and help you to live longer and healthier. Its a very beneficial program, and it is unfortunate that it is not available to more seniors, but those who have access to it should definitely use it.
You may even want to make Silver Sneakers a deciding factor as to whether you choose one insurance provider or another. Thats how much value this program offers you as a senior. This is really one of the very few free services that Medicare Supplements can offer seniors, so its one you should be thankful to enjoy.
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Will A Silver Sneakers Gym Membership Improve My Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the Silver Sneakers program may reduce long-term health-care costs and inpatient admissions among seniors. In fact, the study showed people who attended a Silver Sneakers gym or fitness class at least twice a week spent $1,250 less on health care in their second year of the program than those attending just once a week.
If you have diabetes, you may also see a positive impact from a Silver Sneakers gym membership. Research published by the American Diabetes Association showed that diabetic seniors who participated in Silver Sneakers activities saved over $1,600 in medical expenses their first year and had fewer hospitalizations than those who didnât.
Finally, a research article in the professional journal Population Health Management showed the Silver Sneakers gym membership program boosted the overall physical and emotional health of participants. The research showed that higher participation in the program improved quality of life across several different measures. It also reduced some of the physical difficulties associated with aging.
Of course, not everyone will have the same response to a Silver Sneakers gym membership, but research shows that many do see positive health benefits. These studies didnât compare Silver Sneakers to other health club memberships.
You should always talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program such as Silver Sneakers, however.
Ma Plans & Silver Sneakers
Medicare Advantage plans, otherwise known as Medicare Part C, will often cover a Silver Sneakers membership as an added benefit. Common MA plan providers include but are not limited to Aetna, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and Anthem Blue Cross. If a patient is unsure about whether or not a membership is included in the MA plan benefits, they should contact their insurance provider or a licensed health insurance agency. If a patient is looking to enroll in a MA or Medigap plan that includes a Silver Sneakers benefit, they should use the governments Medicare Advantage plan comparison tool. Using the plan comparison tool can help enrollees uncover what benefits are included in each MA plan to decipher which one they want.
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