Do Medicare Supplement Plans Include Gym Memberships?
Staying active can become difficult but is just as important in older age. A gym membership can help you maintain your motivation, give you access to classes and equipment, and connect you to a fitness community.
Some Medicare Supplement plans include gym memberships at a low cost, and some Medicare Supplement plans include them for free. We’ll share some tips on how to find Medigap plans that include additional fitness benefits.
Key takeaways:
Not all Medicare Supplement plans include gym memberships. It’s up to individual insurance companies to decide whether or not to include the benefit.
You can check the Silver&Fit and SilverSneakers websites to see which Medicare Supplement plans provide these fitness benefits.
Checking Medicare Supplement insurance carrier websites is a good way to see if specific policies include gym memberships.
Does Medicare cover gym memberships?
Original Medicare doesn’t provide free gym memberships or access to fitness programs. If you only have Original Medicare, you’ll have to pay for any fitness memberships you use.
Some Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans offer gym memberships as an additional benefit. While all Medicare Supplement plans have standardized coverage, fitness memberships aren’t a standard benefit. Some insurance companies choose to add it.
For both Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, you’ll have to check specific policies to see if they have a fitness membership benefit.
Which Medicare Supplement plans include gym memberships?
There are three ways you can check which Medicare Supplement plans include gym memberships.
1. Check SilverSneakers or Silver&Fit
SilverSneakers and Silver&Fit are two popular options for fitness memberships that can be included with Medicare Supplement plans. For example, some Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Supplement plans offer SilverSneakers as an additional benefit.
Keep in mind that not all Medicare Supplement plans include the benefit. Additionally, some carriers will offer a fitness benefit with some plans and not others. For example, if Blue Cross Blue Shield offers it for Medigap Plan G, it may not also offer fitness benefits for Medigap Plan B.
The best way to check which Medicare Supplement plans include SilverSneakers or Silver&Fit as a benefit is to check their websites:
SilverSneakers: input your state to see which plans include the service
Silver&Fit: check which health plans participate in the program
Medicare Supplement plans can also offer fitness benefits outside of these services. They may offer fitness allowances on a quarterly or monthly basis or provide a fitness benefit in a different way.
2. Start with finding the Medicare Supplement plan you need on Medicare.gov
Finding the right Medicare Supplement plan is all about taking care of your healthcare needs at a price that works for your budget. Plan G tends to be the most popular Medigap option for beneficiaries since it provides the most comprehensive coverage.
You can check all your Medigap plan options in your area with Medicare’s plan finder tool. Put in your age, sex, tobacco usage, and options for household discounts to see how much each Medigap plan costs for you.
Once you’ve picked your plan type, you can narrow your policies down by clicking “View Policies.” Check which premiums and pricing structures work best for your short and long-term budget and then see if those insurance carriers include a gym membership in their Medicare Supplement plans. Click “Visit company website” to check if they do.
This option is more tedious, but if you don’t have a Medigap plan already, it ensures that you find a plan that meets your health and financial needs first.
3. Get in touch with a licensed Medicare Advisor
Take the guesswork out of searching for a Medicare Supplement plan by talking to a licensed Medicare Advisor at Chapter. Our Advisors can help you get what you’re looking for in your healthcare coverage, including a cost-effective and comprehensive Medigap plan that includes a gym membership. Get in touch with us at 855-900-2427 or schedule a time to chat for free advice.
Other ways you can stay active
Having a costly gym membership isn’t the only way to stay active! Many local community centers offer free or reduced memberships for classes and gyms. You can also look into neighborhood walking groups, hiking groups, or other fitness groups using a website like Meetup. Your local library and YMCA is also a great place to start when it comes to free and reduced-cost fitness. Finally, there are a lot of resources online that can help you stay active in the comfort of your own home. We’ve published a few ourselves, which you can check out below: