Staying active as we age is essential for a long and healthy life. If you’ve been looking to maintain your health and energy levels as you get older, you may be wondering if Medicare can help. The good news is that many Medicare plans actually cover gym and fitness memberships at no extra cost! In this article, we'll look at what types of medicare plans offer these fitness memberships and several different programs utilized to make these benefits available to Medicare recipients.
Does Medicare Cover a Fitness Membership?
Fitness memberships are not covered under Original Medicare. However, a fitness membership may be covered by a private health plan such as a Medicare Advantage plan (MAPD) or a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) plan. Gym or fitness memberships are often part of the extra benefits offered by these plans. The plans that do include a fitness membership work in conjunction with various fitness programs designed for seniors and those who are Medicare-eligible. With this in mind you may be wondering how these various plan types differ.
What is Medicare Advantage?
A Medicare Advantage Plan (MAPD) provides coverage through private insurance companies. A Medicare Advantage Plan provides all the benefits of Part A, Part B (except Hospice care), and in most cases, Part D. However many Medicare Advantage Plans offer additional benefits beyond Original Medicare, including: dental, vision, hearing and fitness benefits.
What is Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?
Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) is a policy that helps pay for health care costs that Medicare may not cover. Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies licensed to offer these plans in your state. Medigap policies do not cover Part D prescription medications, so if you want drug coverage, you can add a standalone Part D plan (PDP) that is available in your area. Medigap plans can cover some health care costs like copayments, coinsurance and deductibles that original Medicare doesn’t cover. Standardized Medigap policies are guaranteed renewable even when there are health concerns. However, Medigap may not cover eyeglasses or dental care like a Medicare Advantage Plan might, although many do offer a fitness membership for enrollees to stay healthy.
It’s important to note that each plan is different and not all plans offer a fitness membership. In addition, this feature is subject to change year to year. At Twin City Underwriters, our agents take your personal and lifestyle needs into consideration when making Medicare plan suggestions. During your guaranteed annual review provided with our SurePlan® Medicare System we notify you of upcoming changes to your specific plan for example how your fitness membership may be affected.
Related: How Seniors Can Stay Healthy With Everyday Movement
Common Medicare Fitness Membership Options
The private insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans, typically partner with privately owned fitness programs that specialize in providing fitness and wellness programs to seniors. Learn more about these various programs below.
SILVERSNEAKERS®
SilverSneakers® is covered under some private insurance companies and provides many health benefits for seniors. This program provides on-demand exercise videos, access to any of the more than 15,000 participating locations and FLEX classes. FLEX classes are exercise classes that are offered at other locations beside a physical gym. The FLEX classes are generally located at recreation centers, senior communities, churches, and more.
Silver&Fit®
The Silver&Fit® program offers access to a multitude of fitness locations, up to two Home Fitness Kits each year, a resource library, and a great rewards program. The Home Fitness Program Kits can include yoga kits, cardio kits, walking kits and more.
Renew Active®
Renew Active® is exclusively for those with UnitedHealthcare Medicare plans. Renew Active provides a gym membership with a national network of over 17,000 locations, an online brain health program and access to local health and wellness events.
One Pass
One Pass is a health and wellness program that several Medicare health plans partner with that provides members with access to gyms, fitness centers, studios, virtual workouts, cognitive health tools, and social activities.The program offers an extensive network of over 24,000 gyms and fitness centers, allowing you to enroll in as many facilities as you desire.
Taking advantage of your Medicare plan's fitness membership is a great way to stay active and improve your overall health. You can find out if your plan includes a fitness membership by contacting your insurance directly, or by reaching out to our team.
If you currently do not have a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan, you can learn more about your Medicare plan options at one of our upcoming workshops.
Choosing a Medicare plan can be difficult. Twin City Underwriters helps Medicare recipients in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Florida find the Medicare plan that meets their unique needs. Schedule a one-on-one meeting with one of our Medicare insurance brokers to get your questions answered!
Do you need help with Medicare, insurance and health plans? Explore your options with Allina Health Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota, Medica, UCare, United HealthCare and more. We work with you to find the best plan for your needs and budget. Contact us today to get started.