Here’s a pro tip:
Your health insurance carrier wants you to stay fit.
No, it’s not out of the goodness of their own hearts. But in simple terms, the healthier you keep yourself, the less they’ll end up paying for your medical care over the long term.
It’s true! Some insurance carriers will even reimburse you for joining a gym, getting personal training, or taking fitness classes.
Here’s everything you need to know about Oxford health insurance gym and fitness reimbursement.
Oxford insurance’s Sweat Equity program will reimburse eligible members up to $200 in fitness and wellness expenses per six-month period, asssuming you’ve gone to at least 50 classes or sessions in that time period.
(That’s up to $400 per year! That’s substantially more than what Blue Cross and Aetna offer.)
Let’s dive into the details, what the program covers, and how to get your money.
Oxford Fitness Reimbursement Explained
Oxford offers a program called Sweat Equity to eligible members.
What is Sweat Equity?
It’s a reimbursement program that gives you up to $200 per 6-month period to pay for fitness related activities like gym fees, fitness classes, organized races/runs, and training.
But there’s a catch.
You have to put in the work!
You have to attend 50 “sessions” in a 6-month period and have documentation of each one, in order to be eligible for the full reimbursement.
Let’s take a closer look at how it works.
Who’s eligible for fitness reimbursement?
You’ll need to have a qualifying health plan with Oxford, but beyond that, it’s not 100% clear which plans are eligible.
There are a ton of different programs and different levels of coverage you can get with any health carrier, Oxford included, and some of them make you eligible for additional rewards — others don’t.
You should be able to find out if you can participate in Sweat Equity by logging into your online dashboard with Oxford, or by calling the customer service hotline (phone number on the back of your ID card).
You have to record and document 50 sessions per 6-month periods (like 50 classes or trips to the gym) in order to get the reimbursement — that equates to about 2 workouts per week.
But you may be able to work around this if you call and talk to Oxford.
(For example, if your doctor wants you to take it easy and work out less frequently, they may make an exception and still help you get some cash back.)
What facilities and services are eligible?
According to the flier, the facilities or classes must be open to the general public.
So private personal training is PROBABLY out (unless it’s done at a commercial gym), and it’s likely you won’t be able to get reimbursed for your Peloton classes or a Beachbody subscription.
But there’s certainly a lot of grey area here and I’d follow up directly with Oxford to find out for sure.
Here’s the official list of examples of eligible services from the Sweat Equity flier:
- Aerobics
- Boot camps
- Boxing/Kickboxing
- CrossFit
- Indoor rock climbing
- Martial arts
- Personal training
- Organized group fitness event (e.g., marathon)
- Pilates
- Pure Barre
- Standard gym, including YMCAs and community centers where fitness services are offered
- Swimming
- Tennis/Racquetball
- TRX Circuit
- Weight/Resistance
- Yoga
- Zumba®
You’ll definitely be able to get the reimbursement if you go to a regular commercial gym (like LA Fitness, Planet Fitness, etc.) and take popular workout classes like CycleBar or SoulCycle, Orangetheory, and more.
Anything specialized and more obscure constitutes a grey area, but I’d encourage you to call and discuss it directly with Oxford.
You never know what they might say Yes to!
How to get the Oxford fitness reimbursement
There isn’t a whole lot you’ll need, but here’s the gist.
- Find out if your plan is eligible for Sweat Equity
- Join a gym or sign-up for fitness classes
- Document each session using the Sweat Equity reimbursement form
- Once you’ve accrued 50 sessions within 6 months, complete the rest of the form and send it in
That’s pretty much it!
You can get a little bit more information by viewing the online flier for Oxford’s Sweat Equity here.
Side note: You’ll want to do this promptly. If you wait another 6-months before sending in your reimbursement form, you’re likely to get declined.
You technically have 180 days from the date of the last fitness session to postmark your form, but I wouldn’t push it!
What are some other ways to save money on fitness?
Being on a tight budget shouldn’t hold you back.
There are SO many ways to get in great shape without spending a fortune, so here are some of my top articles that might help.
How to negotiate your gym membership
Free workout plans you can start today
Complete guide to pricing out gym memberships
And if you’re willing to spend just a couple of bucks per month for a super-structured, results-guaranteed workout program you can do from home, check out my Beachbody on Demand review.
Wrapping Up
If you’re on an eligible health plan with Oxford and you can commit to working out about twice per week (50 times in six months), you can get a substantial reimbursement — up to $200 per 6-month period.
At a lot of gyms, that would cover a huge chunk of the membership fee — if not the whole thing!
So it’s a pretty great deal. All you have to do is meticulously record your workouts and send in a simple form.
It’s that easy.
Hope this helps, everyone!
And good luck getting that money back!