Highmark Inc. Medicare plan members who join a formal fitness program appear to exercise more and feel better than other Medicare plan members.
Highmark, Pittsburgh, has reported those findings in a review of a 1-year-old program that encourages Medicare plan members to sign up for the SilverSneakers Fitness program, a national exercise program run by Axia Health Management L.L.C., Phoenix.
About 14% of eligible Highmark Medicare plan members signed up for the program, the company says.
The fitness program members used 30% fewer health care services than other Medicare plan members, and health care costs for the members who visited the fitness center the most went down, Highmark reports.