1 Freed M, et al. (Nov 15, 2023). Medicare Advantage 2024 Spotlight: First Look. Kaiser Family Foundation. www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/medicare-advantage-2024-spotlight-first-look.
Coverage
SilverSneakers Eligibility Requirements
- March 21, 2024
- Reviewed by John Krahnert
Medicare Advantage plans can offer gym memberships and fitness benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover, such as SilverSneakers. Learn how to compare your local plan options and how to find a Medicare Advantage plan that covers fitness benefits.
SilverSneakers, a popular exercise program for older adults, offers memberships to qualifying seniors who are enrolled in participating Medicare Advantage plans. 98 percent of 2024 Medicare Advantage plans offer a fitness benefit like SilverSneakers.1
Before you choose your Medicare health plan, learn more about the SilverSneakers program and other fitness programs.
Compare plans today.
Compare plans that offer SilverSneakers or other fitness benefits.
Find out if you’re eligible for SilverSneakers
What are the SilverSneakers eligibility requirements?
In order to be eligible for the SilverSneakers Fitness program, you must be:
- 65 or older, or eligible for Medicare because of a disability
- Living in the U.S.
- Enrolled in a private Medicare plan that offers the SilverSneakers benefit
To be eligible for SilverSneakers, you must join a participating Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan.
If you are already enrolled in one of those types of private insurance plans, you can visit SilverSneakers.com to see if your current plan offers the program.
Why take advantage of the program?
SilverSneakers is designed to help older adults stay physically fit and socially active. Membership provides access to more than 15,000 participating locations nationwide, including gyms, wellness centers and YMCAs.
You can visit the SilverSneakers official website to find a participating location near you.
SilverSneakers locations offer fitness classes targeted towards aging adults, including:
- Yoga
- Senior sports teams or recreational leagues
- Outdoor exercise activities and more
In addition, the Silver Steps program provides seniors who live in more rural areas access to personalized workout programs they can do from home and an online component to help keep members connected and motivated to stay healthy.
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Which insurance companies offer SilverSneakers?
Some of the health insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans offer at least one plan that includes SilverSneakers membership. We represent carriers such as Humana, UnitedHealthcare®, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna Healthcare, Wellcare, or Kaiser Permanente.
Plan availability and specific plan benefits may vary depending on where you live and the type of plan you have.
If your health plan doesn’t include SilverSneakers
Your plan either offers SilverSneakers or it doesn’t — you can’t add it on separately. If you’re interested in joining a Medicare Advantage plan in your area that does include SilverSneakers, one of our licensed insurance agents can help you explore your options.
Find a Medicare Advantage plan that covers SilverSneakers.
Speak with a licensed insurance agent
About the author
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.
