UnitedHealthcare Extends Partnership with Tivity Health to Provide SilverSneakers to MA Group Members Through 2022
Agreement Confirms Commitment to Improve the Physical and Social Health of Members
NASHVILLE, TN/PRNewswire—Tivity Health® (Nasdaq: TVTY), a leading provider of nutrition, fitness and social engagement solutions, will continue to provide UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage group members with SilverSneakers® through December 31, 2022, as a result of a new agreement to extend the relationship. This contract extension will ensure that approximately 1.1 million UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage group members will continue to have access to the physical health and social engagement benefits offered by SilverSneakers, the nation’s leading fitness program for older adults.
Tivity Health (PRNewsfoto/Tivity Health, Inc)
Tivity Health has a long-standing relationship with UnitedHealthcare and has offered SilverSneakers to its Medicare Advantage members for 20 years. This agreement reaffirms the joint commitment of both organizations to help seniors achieve their best health by engaging in physical activity, including proprietary classes designed specifically for older adults, and by supporting the social connections that are critical to a long and healthy life.
“UnitedHealthcare’s members have been enjoying the many benefits of SilverSneakers for two decades, and we are proud to continue to partner with them to improve the health and well-being of their Medicare Advantage population,” said Steve Janicak, President, Healthcare Business Unit, Tivity Health. “This relationship underscores the strength and longevity of the SilverSneakers brand. For almost 30 years, we’ve brought our unique programming to older adults, and the program has evolved from a fitness program to an ecosystem of resources to help seniors live their best lives.”
In addition to SilverSneakers classes led by trained instructors, the program offers access to more than 16,000 fitness locations nationwide as well as SilverSneakers On-Demand video workouts and a mobile app, SilverSneakers® GOTM, at no additional cost to the member. SilverSneakers also offers members opportunities for social connection, an important component of healthy aging.
“Social isolation and loneliness are associated with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, disability and dementia — these conditions are as detrimental to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day1,” said Donato Tramuto, Chief Executive Officer, Tivity Health. “SilverSneakers is a proven platform to help seniors engage socially and mitigate these risks. We’ve seen the power of social connection in improving the health of our members and we are committed to continuing to be a leader in addressing these important issues.”
In a 2018 survey of SilverSneakers members, 60 percent said they had made valuable relationships with other SilverSneakers members and 88 percent said that SilverSneakers has improved their quality of life. A Tivity Health and MIT AgeLab study published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology found that 20 percent fewer SilverSneakers members suffered from social isolation while 25 percent fewer SilverSneakers members suffered from loneliness2.
Members can determine their eligibility for SilverSneakers, find their closest participating fitness location or learn more about the program by visiting www.silversneakers.com.
About SilverSneakers
SilverSneakers®, by Tivity Health, is the nation’s leading community fitness program for older Americans. The program was founded in 1992 and is available to more than 15 million Americans through many Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Supplement carriers, and group retiree plans. For more information, to check eligibility or to enroll in the program or sign up for a SilverSneakers newsletter, go to www.silversneakers.com.
About Tivity Health, Inc.
Tivity Health is a leading provider of nutrition, fitness and social connection solutions. With its family of healthy life-changing solutions, including SilverSneakers®, Nutrisystem®, South Beach Diet®, Prime® Fitness, Wisely Well™ and WholeHealth Living™, Tivity Health is impacting the lives of millions. By working with a diverse set of partners, including payers, healthcare practitioners and employers, to provide more opportunities to empower people to feel, do and be better, Tivity Health is transforming the way we do health. Learn more at www.TivityHealth.com.
1 Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., & Stephenson, D. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspectives on psychological science.
2 Brady, S., D’Ambrosio, L. A., Felts, A., Rula, E. Y., Kell, K. P., & Coughlin, J. F. (2018). Reducing Isolation and Loneliness Through Membership in a Fitness Program for Older Adults: Implications for Health. Journal of Applied Gerontology.