Gym membership coverage: A potential double-edged sword for the insurance market

Some private insurers participating in the Medicare Advantage program have begun offering gym memberships as a way to encourage older consumers to stay healthy and active. While many consider this to be good news, others say that the practice is a double-edged sword. Inclusion of gym memberships may signal that insurers are attempting to procure the healthiest individuals while leaving the high-risk policies in the hands of the Medicare program. This practice may have an impact on how health insurance exchanges. These state-run insurance programs will provide limitless coverage to…

Read More

63 percent of health insurance exchange-using seniors reevaluated their private Medicare plan coverage this year

A study that involved an extended health survey of seniors who bought private Medicare plans through a health insurance exchange showed that 63 percent reevaluated their coverage during the annual enrollment period for 2012 and that among them, 31 percent purchased different coverage. The survey involved the participation of 334 seniors who had previously purchased private supplemental Medicare plans through an insurance exchange. According to the results, the three primary reasons that these seniors decided to reevaluate their health insurance coverage were: • Because they had experienced an increase in…

Read More