Saving Money on Fitness With Your Health Insurance
Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!
Over the past year, I’ve tried to get serious about fitness. I’ve found a number of useful tools, from the workout videos on the Peloton App, to the sleep and heart rate tracking features of my Fitbit Versa 4 smartwatch. Even though I’m not a member of a gym, all these expenses add up.
But one great and underrated source of savings are the fitness and wellness benefits offered through most health insurance programs. These programs vary in generosity, but even a few basic searches turned up some significant savings on fitness trackers and highly discounted gym memberships.
The most generous program I came across was UnitedHealthcare’s UHC Rewards (up to $300 per year in rewards for various fitness goals), but almost every insurer offers some interesting deals, including $28/month gym memberships through Active & Fit Direct (also available as a benefit for AAA members). I searched for nearby gyms and found several participating gyms and yoga studios, including a few with typical monthly fees at least 2-3x the discounted rate.
For more info on your insurance program’s wellness programs, check with your company’s HR department or webpage, or simply search for [your insurance company] and “fitness and wellness savings”. If you’re a retiree on Medicare, you’re out of luck, but you may be able to find deals through AARP (which I wrote about a few years ago) or other organizations.
And now, Andrew’s pick(s) of the week:
The Fall Guy is a terrific and fun movie, with plenty of action and hilarious moments. I highly recommend it. But one note—I don’t regret spending $20 to watch it on streaming now, but it may be worth waiting a few months for it to be significantly cheaper to rent.
Also:
They Thought They Knew Their Hamsters. Then They Put Up Spy Cameras.
The American Elevator Explains Why Housing Costs Have Skyrocketed
I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.