It’s a simple formula: Improved access to fitness opportunities can translate to better health and less need for costly medical interventions. Some health insurers have even recognized that offering a fitness benefit to members can help delay or reduce their overall expenditures.
That means your exercise class might help boost the bottom line, and many insurers are looking to capitalize on that reality.
One program that can help do all that for older adults is called SilverSneakers, which may already be a benefit in your existing health insurance plan. However, some major insurance providers have recently changed how their SilverSneakers benefits work, eliminating coverage for some premium gyms like Life Time. Some local YMCAs have also ended or scaled back their acceptance of SilverSneakers.
[READ: What Is Medicare-Medicaid Dual Eligibility?]
What Is SilverSneakers and How Does It Work?
SilverSneakers is a fitness benefit that offers free gym membership for seniors through many Medicare plans. It provides access to thousands of fitness and exercise facilities across the United States, including YMCAs, municipal recreation centers and other community-based facilities.
“Members can also access hundreds of weekly live virtual classes and a digital curriculum of thousands of on-demand classes and virtual programs focusing on balance, fall prevention, strength, flexibility, cardiovascular health and more,” adds Stacey Santo, chief marketing and engagement officer at Tivity Health, the parent company of SilverSneakers.
The lifestyle program continually works to expand its healthy aging programming beyond fitness with classes and programs on topics — such as nutrition, technology adoption, chronic condition management and stress relief — delivered through the SilverSneakers Live platform.
“In addition, SilverSneakers offers mental enrichment for seniors with opportunities to stay intellectually engaged and maintain brain health through virtual classes and activities,” Santo says.
[READ: Activities for Cognitive Health]
Beyond the Gym: What Is SilverSneakers FLEX?
SilverSneakers FLEX takes fitness classes out of the gym and into the community to local parks, rec centers, retirement communities and other nonconventional fitness locations to reach older adults where they are. These classes are designed for SilverSneakers participants, but other members of the general public can also take these FLEX Community classes for a small fee.
Medicare Coverage and SilverSneakers Costs
While original Medicare (parts A and B) doesn’t include SilverSneakers as part of its slate of benefits, many Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare supplement carriers and group retiree plans do.
For those who do have a plan that includes SilverSneakers as a benefit, it’s offered at no additional cost. “There is no cost to the client since it’s included in the Medicare Advantage plan,” explains Stephanie Pogue, a St. Louis-based certified Medicare insurance planner and the CEO of St. Louis Insurance Group in Chesterfield, Missouri.
[READ: Get These 9 Screenings to Keep Your Medicare Costs Down]
SilverSneakers Alternatives: Silver&Fit, Renew Active and One Pass
While SilverSneakers is probably the best-known Medicare fitness program, there are other fitness membership options available for seniors. Some private insurance companies that provide Medicare Advantage plans have their own in-house programs that offer a similar benefit. Examples include:
— Renew Active. This program from UnitedHealthcare covers gym memberships and provides on-demand workout videos and cognitive training via the AARP Staying Sharp program. Renew Active is available with certain UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans.
— Silver&Fit. Available with certain Medicare Advantage and supplement plans, this program provides access to fitness centers and local classes as well as home fitness kits and digital workout resources.
— One Pass. This company offers bundled access to a wide range of gyms, online workouts, tools for brain health and social connections to insurance companies and employers that want to create fitness benefits programs for their members or employees. It serves certain Medicare and Medicaid plans.
“All of these allow you to work out at the gym or find classes online at no cost to you,” Pogue says, because they are included as one of the benefits in your health insurance plan.
SilverSneakers vs. Renew Active
Both SilverSneakers and Renew Active are fitness benefits offered by certain Medicare plans, and they can help older adults exercise more through gym access, fitness classes and other wellness programming. The biggest difference between the two is that Renew Active is available on select UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans only, while SilverSneakers is offered through multiple Medicare Advantage insurance providers.
| Feature/Option | SilverSneakers | Renew Active |
| Cost | $0 for members of eligible Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans | $0 for members of eligible UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans |
| Gym network size | About 15,000 locations nationwide | About 25,000 fitness locations nationwide |
| In-person classes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote classes and digital content | Yes | Yes |
| Activity focus | Group exercise and community events | Fitness plus hobby and social activities |
| Cognitive health tools | Yes | Yes |
| Personalized fitness plans | Limited | May include a customized plan |
| Best for | Medicare Advantage members who want broad access to a large number of gyms and fitness centers | UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members who want a comprehensive wellness experience |
Other senior fitness options
If you don’t have a Medicare Advantage or a Medigap plan that offers a fitness benefit, but still want to access such benefits, there are some companies that offer standalone options for older adults similar to SilverSneakers.
For example, Mutually Well offers access to a nationwide network of more than 10,000 gyms and fitness locations where you can take classes, use the pool, play on the courts and more. Your monthly membership (currently listed at $29.99) also gives you access to reduced rates on other wellness tools including massage, acupuncture and chiropractic services at participating locations. You also get a customized weekly exercise and nutrition plan.
One Pass also has a direct-to-consumer option that gives you access to a broad range of gyms and fitness locations. Plans start at $10 per month for digital memberships and run over $200 per month for premium options.
[READ: Best Fitness Apps and Home Workouts.]
SilverSneakers Eligibility 2026
Enrollees who have a Medicare Advantage plan that includes a SilverSneakers benefit are eligible to participate in the program. Check your plan details for more information on whether it’s included.
Although SilverSneakers is designed for older adults, there’s no actual age requirement. The only requirement is that you have a Medicare Advantage plan — or a related plan — that offers SilverSneakers as one of its benefits.
You can also check whether you have access to this benefit via the SilverSneakers ID lookup page.
How Does SilverSneakers Work?
It’s simple: If your gym, community center or other workout facility is in the SilverSneakers network, the insurance plan will pay your membership fees.
Just show your SilverSneakers member ID at the location, and you can obtain a basic membership, which usually includes access to cardio machines, free weights, a track, a pool and other fitness equipment.
You may also get access to some fitness classes, but the facility might charge extra for certain ones — it just depends on how the facility structures their SilverSneakers options. Check for participating locations online.
A big upside to the program is that you don’t have to stay in one place.
“Eligible members can work out at as many locations as they would like,” Santo says. “If they are traveling or prefer activities at more than one location, they have options.”
Pogue adds that her clients love that feature.
“They can join as many gyms or community centers as they want to, and their membership fees are paid for,” she notes. “I have several clients who belong to one gym because it has the best pool and another gym because it has the best walking track or yoga class.”
SilverSneakers Benefits
Regular physical activity and exercise are good for supporting wellness, health and longevity. For seniors in particular, staying fit can pay huge dividends.
“Even if you start a workout routine later in life, the benefits to your brain and body are great,” Santo says.
Benefits can include:
— Improved mental function
— Lowered risk of developing chronic illnesses
— Enhanced mobility and flexibility
— Better weight control and blood sugar management
— Improved strength and endurance
“Physical well-being is still at the top of the list, but emotional, social and mental well-being are much more part of the conversation, and we’ve learned what an important part of our health those things are in recent years,” Santo says.
[READ: 10 Tips to Live to 100]
Medicare Advantage Fitness Benefits 2027
In 2026, the number of plans offering SilverSneakers declined as plans looked for ways to cut costs. Some of these plans dropped SilverSneakers but now offer a different, similar fitness benefit, while others dropped all fitness benefits.
According to data from KFF, an independent healthcare information resource, 93% of Medicare Advantage plans offered a fitness benefit in 2026 versus 95% in 2025. These declines were felt in specific regions of the country more than others. For example, some 26,000 seniors with Medicare Advantage plans offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota lost access to SilverSneakers fitness classes at YMCAs and Life Time fitness centers in the state.
Despite a projected 2.48% increase in payments from the federal government to insurers who manage Medicare Advantage in 2027, costs continue to increase. Therefore, more cuts to supplemental benefits such as SilverSneakers and other fitness options are expected to continue next year.
If SilverSneakers or a similar fitness benefit program is important to you, be sure to check the plan change information you receive before you re-enroll, as you may need to switch to a different plan to maintain your current benefits.
How to Pick the Right Medicare Plan With Fitness Benefits
There’s more to your health insurance plan than the fitness benefits it offers, and you have to weigh many factors to determine what fits your budget while meeting all your needs.
Ensuring that you can keep seeing your preferred doctors and that the prescriptions and pharmacy you use are in-network should take precedence over any fitness benefit program offering. Staying in-network with providers and getting your medications covered will save you more money than a gym membership costs.
In addition, no insurer is required to include SilverSneakers or any other fitness benefit program as part of its mix of benefits. Your plan may choose to discontinue offering SilverSneakers from year to year as it sees fit, so you need to pay attention to the annual notice of change information you receive from the plan prior to open enrollment.
You can search for plans that offer fitness benefits on Medicare.gov or by talking to an independent Medicare insurance broker.
You can also contact your local senior center or Area Agency on Aging for more resources and guidance.
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Does Medicare Cover SilverSneakers? Costs, Eligibility and Plan Changes originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/29/26: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
