Blue Shield of California
January 18, 2010

Blue Shield of California announced today that it will expand its contract with Healthways, Inc. to offer the SilverSneakers® Fitness Program to Blue Shield Medicare Advantage members in San Bernardino County. SilverSneakers, which Blue Shield already offers in Los Angeles and Orange counties, is the nation’s leading exercise program for older adults.

Using the SilverSneakers premier network, Blue Shield of California members get access to a variety of participating fitness and wellness facilities throughout the country, including such popular locations as Curves® and Bally Total Fitness®. Many sites offer amenities such as exercise equipment, treadmills and free weights, and the signature SilverSneakers fitness classes.

https://www.blueshieldca.com/bsc/newsroom/pr/sneakers_011810.jhtml

SilverSneakers: http://www.silversneakers.com/Home.aspx

Comment: 

By Don McCanne, MD

Healthways SilverSneakers is a membership fitness program for seniors provided as a free benefit by many Medicare Advantage programs throughout the nation. It is not a benefit that is allowed in the traditional Medicare program.

We certainly applaud seniors who participate in programs designed to maintain physical fitness and general wellness. But there are two features of this program that should outrage taxpayers.

1) These programs are funded by government overpayments made to the private Medicare Advantage plans. Though some of the overpayments are used for additional benefits, much is wasted in excessive administrative costs and profits. Not only should taxpayers object to the waste, they should also object to a program that provides extra benefits limited to private plan enrollees but not available to those in the traditional Medicare program. If the extra benefits are appropriate, then all Medicare beneficiaries should receive them. If they are not appropriate, then no taxpayer funds should be used for these benefits. In either case, the overpayments directed to the private plans should either be redistributed amongst all Medicare beneficiaries or retained in our Medicare reserves. Regardless, the private Medicare Advantage plans should be eliminated as the wasteful intermediaries that they’ve proven to be.

2) Which of our seniors would find the SilverSneakers program to be an attractive benefit? Obviously only the healthiest without infirmities that would prevent them from participating in the exercise programs. SilverSneakers is being selectively marketed to the healthiest, lowest-cost seniors, even though their private plans are being paid much more than we spend taking care of patients in the traditional Medicare program which includes a disproportionate share of chronically ill patients. The taxpayers take care of the sick, while they doubly overpay the private plans to take care of the lower-cost healthier individuals.

The Republicans are feigning outrage by protesting that the proposal before Congress would “cut Medicare spending” by partially reducing some of the overpayments to the Medicare Advantage plans. Well, the Democrats actually are wrong. In a brave show of timidity, they suggest tweaking the Medicare Advantage overpayments, when they should show the temerity to throw those crooks out and use the funds to improve benefits in the traditional Medicare program.

While they’re at it, they should throw out the crooks running the rest of the private plans, and establish an improved Medicare program for all of us.

What about the seniors who would lose their SilverSneakers membership? They can buy a program directly from Curves or Bally Total Fitness, thereby eliminating both the SilverSneakers and the Medicare Advantage middlemen. Or better yet, they can organize their own fitness groups and continue to exercise – for free!

Blue Shield of California to Offer Award-Winning Fitness Program to Medicare Beneficiaries in San Bernardino

Blue Shield of California
January 18, 2010
Blue Shield of California announced today that it will expand its contract with Healthways, Inc. to offer the SilverSneakers® Fitness Program to Blue Shield Medicare Advantage members in San Bernardino County. SilverSneakers, which Blue Shield already offers in Los Angeles and Orange counties, is the nation’s leading exercise program for older adults.
Using the SilverSneakers premier network, Blue Shield of California members get access to a variety of participating fitness and wellness facilities throughout the country, including such popular locations as Curves® and Bally Total Fitness®. Many sites offer amenities such as exercise equipment, treadmills and free weights, and the signature SilverSneakers fitness classes.
https://www.blueshieldca.com/bsc/newsroom/pr/sneakers_011810.jhtml
SilverSneakers: http://www.silversneakers.com/Home.aspx

Healthways SilverSneakers is a membership fitness program for seniors provided as a free benefit by many Medicare Advantage programs throughout the nation. It is not a benefit that is allowed in the traditional Medicare program.
We certainly applaud seniors who participate in programs designed to maintain physical fitness and general wellness. But there are two features of this program that should outrage taxpayers.
1) These programs are funded by government overpayments made to the private Medicare Advantage plans. Though some of the overpayments are used for additional benefits, much is wasted in excessive administrative costs and profits. Not only should taxpayers object to the waste, they should also object to a program that provides extra benefits limited to private plan enrollees but not available to those in the traditional Medicare program. If the extra benefits are appropriate, then all Medicare beneficiaries should receive them. If they are not appropriate, then no taxpayer funds should be used for these benefits. In either case, the overpayments directed to the private plans should either be redistributed amongst all Medicare beneficiaries or retained in our Medicare reserves. Regardless, the private Medicare Advantage plans should be eliminated as the wasteful intermediaries that they’ve proven to be.
2) Which of our seniors would find the SilverSneakers program to be an attractive benefit? Obviously only the healthiest without infirmities that would prevent them from participating in the exercise programs. SilverSneakers is being selectively marketed to the healthiest, lowest-cost seniors, even though their private plans are being paid much more than we spend taking care of patients in the traditional Medicare program which includes a disproportionate share of chronically ill patients. The taxpayers take care of the sick, while they doubly overpay the private plans to take care of the lower-cost healthier individuals.
The Republicans are feigning outrage by protesting that the proposal before Congress would “cut Medicare spending” by partially reducing some of the overpayments to the Medicare Advantage plans. Well, the Democrats actually are wrong. In a brave show of timidity, they suggest tweaking the Medicare Advantage overpayments, when they should show the temerity to throw those crooks out and use the funds to improve benefits in the traditional Medicare program.
While they’re at it, they should throw out the crooks running the rest of the private plans, and establish an improved Medicare program for all of us.
What about the seniors who would lose their SilverSneakers membership? They can buy a program directly from Curves or Bally Total Fitness, thereby eliminating both the SilverSneakers and the Medicare Advantage middlemen. Or better yet, they can organize their own fitness groups and continue to exercise – for free!