SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gym memberships have long been the most popular preventive benefit offered by Medicare Advantage plans, with most plans offering some type of fitness benefit, at no charge. A recent analysis of 2022 federal data reveals that a new type of fitness benefit — memory fitness — is among the fastest growing preventive health benefits. According to Posit Science, their BrainHQ online brain fitness program is the choice of most Medicare Advantage organizations across the United States offering a memory fitness supplemental benefit.
“Memory fitness” is a relatively new benefit. It was first permitted under a regulatory change for 2019, and, starting in 2021, the government asked plans to differentiate among physical fitness (such as gym memberships), wearable fitness trackers, and memory fitness programs.
“There’s tremendous interest among seniors in building and maintaining brain health,” observed Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science. “Independent surveys show again and again that cognitive aging is the top concern of older adults, even out-ranking physical health, financial, and relationship concerns.”
That top concern about aging is reflected in the rapid growth of memory fitness benefits. According to the 2022 federal data, 1 out of 4 plans that offer a physical fitness program now also offer a memory fitness program, making it the fastest-growing category of fitness benefits.
“Our own market research indicates that ‘mind/body’ fitness really resonates with older adults new to Medicare,” Dr. Mahncke added. “They’re also the folks most likely to switch plans, and, not surprisingly, Deft Research found brain fitness was among the top new benefits cited by people who switched plans.”
BrainHQ is the leading clinically-proven brain fitness app, with hundreds of studies showing benefits across diverse populations. Those benefits include significant gains in standard measures of cognition (attention, processing speed, memory, and decision making), in standard measures of quality of life (depressive symptoms, confidence and control, safety, health-related quality of life) and in real-world measures (balance, gait, driving, hearing, and work).
BrainHQ offers dozens of computerized exercises driven by smart algorithms to monitor progress and suggest a personalized brain exercise regimen for each user. BrainHQ is now offered, without charge, as a benefit by leading national and 5-star Medicare Advantage plans and by hundreds of clinics, libraries, and communities. Consumers can try a BrainHQ exercise for free daily at http://www.brainhq.com.
Contact: media@brainhq.com
