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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions


1. Starting January 1, 2007, the number of monthly health-club workouts required to earn the $20 dues reimbursement increases to 12 times. This applies to all participating health clubs in our program.

2. Also starting January 1, 2007, Life Time Fitness joins the program.

3. Effective immediately, our new GlobalFit benefit offers discounts of up to 60% on membership fees at health clubs around the country.

Why is the monthly workout requirement increasing?

HealthPartners is changing Frequent Fitness to align it with the latest findings and recommendations by health experts. America's most prominent health experts recommend that people get 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week. "Moderate" means it makes your heart beat faster and you breathe harder.

Who are the experts?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
National Institute on Aging
National Institutes of Health
Surgeon General of the United States
Weight-control Information Network (WIN)

This advice has been around for years. Why change now?

Now more than ever, we are seeing the consequences of too little exercise. Obesity and related chronic illnesses are spreading at an alarming rate and significantly affecting worker productivity and health care costs. One in four adults is obese. Obesity-related health problems account for 12 percent of our national health care budget and cost our society $13 billion annually in expenses and lost productivity. The situation has become so severe that the International Congress on Obesity recently called obesity as big a threat as global warming and bird flu.

How does this change benefit me, the employer?

  • A healthier workforce is a more productive workforce.
  • Adults exercising three or more times a week on average are healthier, enjoy a better quality of life and go to the doctor less often, thereby paying less in copays, deductibles and other medical expenses.
  • A recent study conducted by the HealthPartners Research Foundation shows that adults who increase their exercise frequency from two or fewer workouts a week to three or more can reduce health care spending by as much as $2,200 a year.
I heard that Life Time Fitness has just been added. Is this true?

  • HealthPartners is committed to providing its members with convenience. As one of the largest health and fitness center operators in the Twin Cities and nationally, Life Time Fitness offers a location near you.
  • This decision was also in response to repeated requests by HealthPartners members to add Life Time Fitness.
  • Additionally, Life Time Fitness now operates several new health and fitness centers that previously were operated by Northwest Athletic Clubs, which already had been a part of the Frequent Fitness network.
Are all Life Time Fitness centers nationwide a part of the Frequent Fitness program?

Yes. HealthPartners members who hold a Life Time Fitness membership at any of their nationwide locations are eligible for the Frequent Fitness dues reimbursement program.

Is anything else about Frequent Fitness changing?

No. HealthPartners will still pay you the same great incentive to work out: $20 per eligible member per month, with a maximum of $40 per household — up to $480 per year! That's as high as or higher than any other health plan in the region. Frequent Fitness continues to be a standard program for fully insured groups and optional for self-insured groups.

What is GlobalFit?

  • Our new GlobalFit benefit offers great savings of up to 60% on health club joiners fees and monthly dues at more than 2,000 clubs nationwide.
  • GlobalFit includes premier sports clubs and well-known chains, such as Bally Total Fitness.
  • GlobalFit also offers online weight-loss programs and exclusive discounts on home exercise equipment and videos, health coaching and more.
  • No minimum number of monthly workouts.
  • Great savings option for employees who don't live near a Frequent Fitness club or can't meet the Frequent Fitness 12-workout-a-month requirement.
  • There is no administrative charge to you for this value-add program; it will be standard for fully and self-insured groups.
  • For more information: globalfit.com or 800-294-1500.
How is GlobalFit different from Frequent Fitness?

GlobalFit offers discounts on your monthly health club membership dues. Frequent Fitness pays you a reimbursement for working out 12 or more times per month.

Can an employee participate in both programs at once? Can people get both a membership discount and a workout reimbursement?

Yes, that is allowed. However, it's unlikely someone would be able to do so. A member would be allowed to buy a club membership through GlobalFit and, if the club is a Frequent Fitness club, also sign up for the Frequent Fitness reimbursement. However, the health clubs that currently belong to our Frequent Fitness network are not part of the GlobalFit network, so they don't overlap.

Where can I find more information?

  • Contact your HealthPartners account service representative
  • Frequent Fitness: 952-883-5000 or 800-883-2177
  • GlobalFit: globalfit.com or call 800-294-1500
How can I communicate this information to my employees?

Download ready-to-use communications materials on the Frequent Fitness main page.