PRESS RELEASE

UnitedHealthcare Adds New Fitness Benefit to Medicare Advantage Plans in New York

November 06, 2017
  • Optum Fitness Advantage available at no additional cost to many people in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans

People enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans in New York will soon have a new fitness benefit that offers access to exercise classes, workout equipment and social activities at participating fitness locations.

In January 2018, Optum Fitness Advantage will be available at no additional cost to people enrolled in eligible UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans in 11 states through a large network of participating fitness centers. Plan participants will have access to the same services, privileges, classes and programs as the fitness centers’ standard members, including waiver of all enrollment fees.

“Optum Fitness Advantage offers people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans an opportunity to stay active and engaged in their communities in a way that supports their overall health and well-being,” said Phillip Franz, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement in New York.

Fitness centers participating in the Optum Fitness Advantage program in New York include participating locations of 24 Hour Fitness, Anytime Fitness, LA Fitness, New York Sports Clubs and Snap Fitness. Locations also include local participating YMCAs.

The Optum Fitness Advantage program, launched by UnitedHealthcare in Washington state and New Jersey in January 2017, has been well received by local Medicare Advantage plan participants.

“I go to my local YMCA almost daily at no additional cost, which means a lot when living on a fixed income,” said Nancy Chiu, a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage member in New Jersey. “I am grateful that UnitedHealthcare is offering a fitness program that helps me improve my health and well-being.”

“Anytime Fitness and Self Esteem Brands look forward to serving UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members as part of the Optum Fitness Advantage network,” said Chuck Runyon, CEO of Anytime Fitness. “We look forward to working together to provide more fitness choices to seniors, both inside and outside of the gym.”

UnitedHealthcare, which has exclusive rights to offer AARP-branded Medicare plans, serves more than 4.3 million people in Medicare Advantage, 4.9 million people through its portfolio of Part D prescription drug plans, and 4.4 million beneficiaries through its Medicare supplement plans.

Altogether, UnitedHealthcare serves one in five Medicare beneficiaries nationwide1.

For more information about Optum Fitness Advantage, visit https://fitnessadvantage.optum.com/.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 1 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.