Sterling Health Plans Offers Silver & Fit® to Medicare Supplement Policyholders

BELLINGHAM, Wash., Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A national health and fitness program is now available to Sterling Health Plans (Sterling) Medicare Supplement policyholders. Sterling and American Specialty Health, Incorporated (ASH), are partnering to offer Silver&Fit®, an Exercise and Healthy Aging Program for Seniors. Silver&Fit is a program designed to offer a variety of health and fitness tools to enrich everyday life for Medicare members. The program comes at no extra cost for seniors enrolled in a Sterling Medicare Supplement Plan.

Silver&Fit offers a fitness facility option and a home fitness option. The fitness facility option includes a membership or reduced membership at any participating fitness facility and can include amenities such as access to cardio and strength training equipment, exercise classes, saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools and swimming pools where available.

For seniors who prefer to exercise at home, the Home Fitness program allows participants to choose workout kits that offer Strength Exercise; Aqua Aerobics; Walking; Stress Management; Yoga; Pilates; Tai Chi; or Dance. The kits may include equipment items such as a DVD, a booklet with general information about the topic and a Quick Start Guide.

Additional fitness program options include:

• Access to Silver&Fit's online fitness and education tools via www.silverandfit.com
• Fitness facility locator
• Health and lifestyle literature
• Discounts on health and other products
• Health trackers to monitor progress
• The Silver Slate® quarterly online newsletter
• Member service professionals available toll–free to help answer any questions or locate participating fitness facilities.

"We know how important fitness and exercise are to the policyholders who have a Sterling Medicare Supplement Plan," said Ron Bendes, President of the Insurance Products Division at Sterling. "Partnering with American Specialty Health to bring members the Silver&Fit program continues our goal of helping seniors live a healthier lifestyle."

According to the National Institutes of Health, exercise provides many health benefits and older adults can gain a lot by staying physically active. Even moderate exercise and physical activity can improve the health of people who are frail or who have diseases that accompany aging. Making exercise and physical activity a regular part of your life can improve your health and help seniors maintain independence as they age.

"Better health is important at any age, and by offering Silver&Fit to its members, Sterling has made an important investment in the personal health improvement of Medicare members nationwide," said George DeVries, CEO and chairman of ASH.

About Sterling Health

Our core purpose is to improve the health, well being, peace of mind and financial security for our members when navigating health care. Sterling takes a member-centric approach with strong customer service and value-added offerings, including service to the insurance and health care provider communities. Sterling was established in 1958 and serves more than 200,000 members. It is licensed in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and has sales offices spanning the nation. The company is a subsidiary of Munich Health North America, Inc.

About Silver&Fit and American Specialty Health (ASH)

Silver&Fit is provided by American Specialty Health Systems, Inc. a subsidiary of American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH). ASH is a national health and wellness company that provides prevention and wellness services, health improvement programs, specialty network management programs, and fitness and exercise services to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds.

Based in San Diego, ASH has over 700 employees and covers 20 million members in specialty network management, fitness, and wellness and prevention programs. For more information, visit SilverandFit.com or ASHCompanies.com, or call 1-800-848-3555.

SOURCE Sterling Health