December 15, 2010, marked a historic day when the first of the “Baby
Boomers” became eligible to register for Medicare. That date signaled the
start of a wave of 77 million Americans who will reach the age of 65 in the
next 18 years; representing the largest single generation in United States
history. That's about 8,000 men and women each day, for the next 18 years, who
will turn 65.
Many of your patients who are Baby Boomers — individuals born between
the years 1946 and 1964 — are coming of age, and there is no question
that both the fitness-conscious members of this population, as well as those
who may never have stepped foot inside a gym before, can benefit from regular
physical activity. Many of your patients who fall into the boomers population
have remained committed to regular physical activity over the decades.
Those boomers who have yet to discover the long-term benefits of exercise are
finding more options than ever when it comes to exercising and staying fit well
into their golden years. With their new Medicare-eligible status, your patients
may be eligible for the Healthways SilverSneakers® Fitness Program, the
nation's leading exercise program for older adults. IBC offers the
SilverSneakers program to your eligible Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO patients
— giving them access to a wide variety of venues, many of which offer
amenities that include fitness equipment, free weights, treadmills, and aquatic
amenities. The program would provide your patients with the opportunity to make
significant improvements to their health — all while having fun and
making friends.
Exercise can be life-changing
Exercise at any age is important, but for those who may already be
Medicare-eligible, regular physical activity could be life-changing. Exercise
will do more for your patients than just make them look better; it plays a key
role in protecting their hearts. A routine exercise program can lower their
chance for a heart attack, cardiovascular disease, and a variety of other
chronic conditions. Additionally, research has demonstrated that the
SilverSneakers Fitness Program provides tangible health benefits for high-risk
patients. Patients with diabetes who were active in SilverSneakers were
admitted to the hospital less often, had lower inpatient care costs, and had
significant reduction in overall health care costs after only a year of
participation1.
Share with your patients how regular exercise can also help improve memory and
decrease memory loss:
- exercise increases levels of brain chemicals that encourage the growth of
nerve cells and may explain why aerobic activity enhances memory skills;
-
moderately strenuous physical activity is strongly associated with successful
brain aging.
SilverSneakers make exercise enjoyable
Encouraging your patients to stay physically active is a critical part of
healthy aging and the SilverSneakers program will empower them to be more
active and independent. Additionally, SilverSneakers makes exercising an
enjoyable and socially rewarding experience. SilverSneakers’ robust
network provides your eligible patients with access to more than 11,000
participating fitness and wellness facilities throughout the country.
Additional signature classes, such as YogaStretch and SilverSplash®, are
available at select locations. Remind your patients that it's never too late to
incorporate fitness into their lives — no matter what their age.
For more information about the SilverSneakers Fitness Program, please visit
www.silversneakers.com or call
1-888-423-4632.
Note: SilverSneakers is offered to Keystone 65 Preferred HMO and
Personal Choice 65SM PPO members. To enroll in the program, members
can simply bring their health plan ID card to any participating SilverSneakers
location. For a complete list of locations, members can visit the
SilverSneakers website at www.silversneakers.com
or call 1-888-423-4632.