WellPoint Renews Agreement with Healthways to Continue SilverSneakers® Fitness Program
October 20 2014 - 1:00PM
Business Wire
Agreement Confirms WellPoint’s Commitment to
Improving Members Health and Well-Being
SilverSneakers® Fitness program will continue to be available to
most members of WellPoint, Inc.’s (NYSE: WLP) affiliated Medicare
Advantage plans as a result of its renewed agreement with
Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY), which administers the popular
program.
“In 2015, WellPoint affiliated Medicare Advantage plans, like
most, are facing significant financial pressures for the third
consecutive year because of reimbursement reductions in the
program,” said Marc Russo, president of WellPoint’s Medicare
programs. “Facing these challenges requires making difficult
decisions about the most important aspects of our product
offerings. But we concluded, without hesitation, that programs that
promote wellness, like SilverSneakers, needed to be a priority for
us so Medicare beneficiaries can enjoy healthier, more productive
lives.”
“Providing benefits, services and programs like this, which are
not available in the basic Medicare fee-for-service program, has
been, and needs to continue to be, a cornerstone of the Medicare
Advantage program,” Russo added. “I sincerely hope that other plans
make such programs a priority. It’s good for Medicare Advantage –
and it’s good for members.”
SilverSneakers offers fitness programs geared toward older
adults, including strength training and aerobic and flexibility
exercises. The program offers WellPoint affiliated Medicare
Advantage members full memberships at participating fitness
facilities nationwide at no extra cost.
“Healthways is honored to collaborate with WellPoint in
delivering the SilverSneakers Fitness program to its affiliated
members,” said Ben R. Leedle Jr., Healthways president and chief
executive officer. “Together, we are providing a caring health
solution that addresses the physical and social needs of
WellPoint’s Medicare members and, subsequently, continuing to build
a community around health and well-being.”
The SilverSneakers Fitness Program was founded in 1992 and
serves more than 11 million eligible members.1 The Healthways
fitness center network offers convenient access to more than 16,000
participating fitness and wellness facilities nationwide.
About WellPoint, Inc.
WellPoint is working to transform health care with trusted and
caring solutions. Our health plan companies deliver quality
products and services that give their members access to the care
they need. With nearly 69 million people served by its affiliated
companies, including more than 37 million enrolled in its family of
health plans, WellPoint is one of nation’s leading health benefits
companies. WellPoint companies serve members as the Blue Cross
licensee for California; and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield
licensees for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky,
Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area),
Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield
licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties
and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in
selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the
Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), and Wisconsin. In
most of these service areas, WellPoint does business as Anthem Blue
Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Georgia and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, or Empire Blue
Cross (in the New York service areas). It also serves customers in
other states through its Amerigroup, CareMore and UniCare
subsidiaries. To find out more about WellPoint, go to
wellpoint.com.
About Healthways
Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY) is a global provider of well-being
improvement solutions. Dedicated to creating a healthier world one
person at a time, the Company uses the science of behavior change
to produce and measure positive change in well-being for our
customers, which include employers, integrated health systems,
hospitals, physicians, health plans, communities and government
entities. We provide highly specific and personalized support for
each individual and their team of experts to optimize each
participant’s health and productivity and to reduce health-related
costs. Results are achieved by addressing longitudinal health
risks and care needs of everyone in a given population. The Company
has scaled its proprietary technology infrastructure and delivery
capabilities developed over 30 years and now serves approximately
68 million people on four continents. Learn more at
www.silversneakers.com or www.healthways.com.
1 Healthways internal data, 2014
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
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WellPointDoug Bennett Jr.,
502-889-2103doug.bennettjr@wellpoint.comorHealthwaysChip
Wochomurka, 615-614-4493chip.wochomurka@healthways.com
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