If you have a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan you probably qualify for a free membership to a gym or fitness center near you.
Regular Medicare does not pay for gym or fitness membership. However, many Medicare add-on insurance plans, like United Health Care and Blue Cross Blue Shield, do offer membership through their partners.
The major Medicare add-on partners are Silver and Fit, Silver Sneakers, Renew Active and FitOn Health. They partner with health insurers and fitness centers to provide discounted or even free memberships for senior adults.
The cost to join these programs is: Silver and Fit: $50 / year; Silver Sneakers: $0 / year; Renew Active: $0 / year; FitOn Health: $0 / year.
Fitness centers covered in these programs usually include the YMCA, Life Time, O2 Fitness and Planet Fitness. Some fitness centers are free with your plan, while others may require a nominal charge.
Many health insurers offer one or more of these programs as a part of their Medicare Advantage or Supplement plans. If you do have one of these Medicare add-ons, here’s how to find out more about how to get a discounted fitness center membership:
- If you already know what fitness center you want – for example, if you have friends who are members – the easiest thing to do is to contact the fitness center directly. Ask if they offer discounted memberships through your Medicare plan.
- If you haven’t selected a fitness center, search online for one that will best serve your needs based on the plan you have. Also consider location, programs offered, and facilities like a pool. You can get a list of fitness centers near you that are covered by each plan by entering your zip code at the links below. You can also select filters to find gyms / fitness centers that have amenities you want, such as a pool.
- Browse the list of eligible fitness centers and decide which one looks best for you. If the fitness center you want is not listed in the search above, it might still be covered. You should contact the fitness center you want to double-check if it is covered in your Medicare plan.
- Find out if you qualify for the plan that covers that fitness center (Silver and Fit, Silver Sneakers, Renew Active or FitOn). You can call your health insurance company, or you can check your eligibility online. You can check your eligibility online at:
- Contact the fitness center you’ve selected just to double-check that they offer discounted memberships through your plan.
- Enroll in the program; it’s usually best to do so in-person so you can get answers to any questions you have.
You can also start by contacting your health plan insurer to find out which plans you qualify for. You can also browse the list of participating health plans at:
- Silver and Fit Participating Health Plans
- Silver Sneakers Participating Health Plans
- Renew Active Participating Health Plans
- FitOn Health Participating Health Eligibility
Free Home Exercise Programs
Silver and Fit, Silver Sneakers, and Renew Active also offer free home exercise programs, including live online classes and dozens of videos on demand.
Read more at:
AARP Exercises
AARP offers free exercise videos to members and non-members at:
