Some Medicare Advantage plans offer senior fitness programs as an extra benefit to help you stay active and support your long-term health. SilverSneakers is one of the most common fitness programs offered by Medicare plans. The program offers both in-person and virtual activities created specifically for seniors.
SilverSneakers Medicare benefits are only available through certain health plans, and Original Medicare doesn’t include the program at all. If a fitness membership is one of the benefits you’d like to receive from your Medicare plan, a Medicare advisor can help you identify the plans that include one. Keep in mind, however, that it’s important to make sure the plan you choose satisfies your healthcare needs first and foremost.
Read on to learn which insurance plans include SilverSneakers, how to know if you’re eligible, and how to get the benefit. If you need help comparing plan options, Chapter’s licensed Medicare Advisors are here to help. We’ll guide you through your options and compare fitness benefits alongside your healthcare needs.
Key takeaways:
Original Medicare doesn’t cover gym memberships or fitness programs, but some Medicare Advantage plans include fitness benefits, including SilverSneakers. Select Medigap plans also offer SilverSneakers.
Coverage varies by plan. Not every plan includes SilverSneakers, and plan details can change from year to year.
A fitness benefit is a valuable perk, but your healthcare needs and budget should come first when you choose a Medicare plan.
Which insurance plans include SilverSneakers?
SilverSneakers is available at no additional cost to members of eligible health plans. Let’s take a look at Medicare coverage options and whether they support SilverSneakers.
Original Medicare
Original Medicare, which includes Part A and Part B, doesn’t cover gym memberships or fitness programs, but it will cover certain fitness-related care in special situations. For example, Medicare covers diabetes prevention sessions to improve diet and exercise, and it covers medically necessary physical therapy to treat injuries or illnesses.
Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans offer extra benefits—most commonly dental, vision, and hearing coverage and prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage extra benefits can include access to SilverSneakers and other fitness programs.
According to KFF, 93% of Medicare Advantage plans in 2026 included some kind of Medicare benefits for wellness or fitness. That number accounts for fitness benefits broadly, not SilverSneakers specifically. Some insurers provide different programs, like Renew Active or Silver&Fit.
Insurers that offer SilverSneakers with at least some of their plans include:
Aetna
Devoted Health
Anthem and certain affiliated Blue Cross Blue Shield companies
Humana
Wellcare
If you’re choosing a plan specifically to get SilverSneakers, confirm the benefit with your Medicare agent or the insurer or check the plan’s Summary of Benefits before enrolling.
Medicare Supplement (Medigap)
With Medigap, Silversneakers access is less common. SilverSneakers and other fitness benefits aren’t part of the standardized coverage that every Medigap plan of the same letter is required to offer. When it’s offered, SilverSneakers comes as an added perk from the specific insurance company on top of that standardized coverage, not as a built-in Medigap benefit.
How do you check if you’re eligible for SilverSneakers?
If your plan includes access to SilverSneakers, you’re automatically eligible.
Here’s how to check whether your specific plan includes it:
Log in to your Medicare plan’s member portal or call the number on your insurance card.
Look for a section on extra benefits, wellness programs, or fitness in your plan documents.
If SilverSneakers is listed, you’re eligible.
Check your exact plan name, not just the insurance company. The same insurer can offer multiple plans with different benefits. For example, your friend’s Aetna Medicare Advantage may include SilverSneakers while yours doesn’t.
Plan benefits can change from one year to the next. So, if your SilverSneakers benefit is important to you, make sure to review your plan options every year during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, which goes from October 15 through December 7.
Tip: You can also check your eligibility on SilverSneakers’ website. Simply include your full name, date of birth, and zip code as they appear on your health plan, and submit the form to see your status.
Can you switch Medicare plans to get SilverSneakers?
You may be able to switch to a plan that includes SilverSneakers, but you’ll need to do so during an approved enrollment window.
Common Medicare Advantage enrollment periods are the Medicare Open Enrollment Period and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment period. The yearly Medicare Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31. You may also qualify for a Special Enrollment Period due to life events like moving or losing access to existing coverage.
If you want to switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to a Medigap plan that comes with a SilverSneakers membership, you can do so only during the qualifying enrollment periods mentioned above. If you are on Original Medicare, you can enroll in or change a Medigap plan at any time.
Keep in mind that, outside of the Medigap guaranteed issue periods, insurers may deny your Medigap application based on your health history.
Don’t give up a Medigap policy for a fitness perk like SilverSneakers until you understand whether you can get that coverage back. If you need someone to walk you through the pros and cons of switching before you commit, give us a call for free support.
What other fitness benefits do Medicare plans offer?
SilverSneakers isn’t the only Medicare fitness program. If your plan doesn’t offer it, you may still have access to similar benefits through a different program.
For example, UnitedHealthcare plans with fitness memberships will offer Renew Active instead of SilverSneakers. Renew Active includes gym access along with brain health resources. Other insurers offer Silver&Fit. This program includes home fitness kits in addition to gym access.
Some Medicare Advantage plans also offer:
Discounted or subsidized standalone gym memberships
Fitness equipment allowances
Wellness classes or social events
General wellness reimbursements for approved activities
Medicare Advantage wellness benefits vary by plan. Be sure to review your plan’s full benefits list to verify if fitness perks are included.
Can you join SilverSneakers without Medicare?
SilverSneakers isn’t something you can buy directly, the way you might sign up for a gym or yoga class. Eligibility comes through a participating health plan, including select Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plans, as well as some employer or group retiree coverage.
If your Medicare plan doesn’t include a fitness program, you can ask local gyms, YMCAs, and community centers about senior rates. You can also use publicly available SilverSneakers online content, which includes 200+ free workout videos.
Get help comparing Medicare plans with fitness benefits
SilverSneakers can be a valuable benefit, but it’s just one piece of a much bigger decision when it comes to Medicare coverage. The right Medicare plan should fit your health needs and budget—not just your gym routine.
Our licensed Medicare Advisors provide free advice, helping you compare Medicare options based on your needs and preferences, from fitness benefits and pharmacies to doctors and medications. We’ll help you find a plan that fits your whole life, not just one priority.
Chat with us today at 855-900-2427 or book an appointment online. We’re here to help.
Sources
Anthem (n.d.). Medicare Supplement insurance plans. https://www.anthem.com/medicare/medicare-supplement-plans-medigap
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2026). Gym memberships & fitness programs. Medicare.gov. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/gym-memberships-fitness-programs
KFF. (2026). Medicare Advantage 2026 spotlight: A first look at plan premiums and benefits. https://www.kff.org/medicare/medicare-advantage-2026-spotlight-a-first-look-at-plan-premiums-and-benefits/
Medicare.gov (n.d.). Can I change my Medigap policy?. https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/ready-to-buy/change-policies
Medicare.gov (n.d.). Gym memberships and fitness programs. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/gym-memberships-fitness-programs
Medicare.gov (n.d.). Joining a plan. https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan
Medicare.gov (n.d.). Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/ready-to-buy
SilverSneakers (2025, November 21). Am I eligible for a SilverSneakers membership?. https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/am-i-eligible-for-a-silversneakers-membership/
SilverSneakers (n.d.). Participating health plans. https://tools.silversneakers.com/Eligibility/HealthPlans
UnitedHealthcare (n.d.). Fitness program for Medicare Advantage members. https://www.uhc.com/member-resources/medicare-advantage-dsnp/fitness-benefits
