Patient Rights & Responsibilities

• Student health plan

• Employee health plans

  • Traditional MIT Health Plan
  • Flexible MIT Health Plan
  • Eligibility
  • Mental health benefits
  • Prescription drugs

  • Fitness benefit

  • Referrals
• Affiliate health plan

Fitness Benefit

The Fitness Benefit Program is available to the members of the Traditional and Flexible MIT Health Plans. Members of the Student and Affiliate Extended Insurance Plans are not eligible. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) administers the Fitness Benefit Program.

What is the Fitness Benefit?

The Fitness Benefit is a $150 reimbursement for membership or exercise classes at a health club.

The Fitness Benefit reimburses you for payments toward health club memberships. In some instances, you may also be reimbursed for exercise class fees. Qualifying payments may be for yourself or your covered dependents. The maximum annual Fitness Benefit reimbursement for you and your covered dependents (per individual or family insurance contract) is $150.

What kind of health club membership qualifies?

Most health club memberships qualify, including YMCAs, JCCs, and the extensive athletic facilities at MIT and Lincoln Laboratory. Aerobic and fitness classes at a health club without an annual membership fee may also be covered, but check with BCBSMA to see whether a specific class is covered, and make sure to get full documentation of your payments to the health club. The purchase of exercise or sports equipment or apparel will not be covered.

Check with your care provider before beginning any exercise program.

What’s the fine print?

Save applicable receipts, credit card records, cancelled checks, and pay stubs. You must have been both a member of the health club and covered by the MIT Health Plan for at least four consecutive months of the calendar year to receive the Fitness Benefit for that year. This means that if you first enroll in the MIT Health Plan or first enroll in a health club after the first of September, you cannot be reimbursed for that calendar year. You may, however, qualify for a Fitness Benefit reimbursement for qualifying payments made in the following calendar year.

How do I get reimbursed?

If you purchase an MIT Department of Athletics, Physical Education & Recreation (DAPER) membership, submit a copy of the payment form.

You can file only one Fitness Benefit Claim Form per covered individual for any calendar year. Thus, for one person with two or more qualifying expenses to be reimbursed, all expenses must be included on the same claim form. Reimbursement for different family members should be requested on separate claim forms.

The maximum benefit is $150 per year per contract.

You must file all claim forms with BCBSMA by March 31 of the following year. That means if you have a qualifying membership in 2010, you have until March 31, 2011, to claim your reimbursement.

Download the claim form at http://www.bcbsma.com or obtain a form from the MIT Health Plans office in E23-308.

To learn more about the Fitness Benefit, call Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts at 800-882-1093 or visit http://www.bcbsma.com.

Resources

MIT Traditional Health Plan handbook (PDF)
MIT Flexible Health Plan handbook (PDF)