What Insurance Plans Include SilverSneakers?

What is SilverSneakers and what does it include?

SilverSneakers is a fitness program designed for older adults who are eligible for Medicare. You do not buy it directly from SilverSneakers. Instead, you get it as a benefit through a participating Medicare insurance plan, and when it is included it comes at no added cost to you.

Where it is offered, the basic membership gives you access to a large national network of participating gyms and fitness locations, plus group exercise classes and online options. Members use a 16-digit SilverSneakers ID, which you can get online or by phone, to check in and access the program.

• Access to thousands of participating fitness and gym locations
• Instructor-led group fitness classes designed for older adults
• Live online classes you can join from home
• On-demand video workouts
• The SilverSneakers GO mobile app

Does Original Medicare cover SilverSneakers?

No. Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) does not cover gym memberships or general fitness programs such as SilverSneakers. Medicare.gov is clear that these are not covered medical services. If a service is not covered, you pay the full cost yourself.

SilverSneakers is offered only as extra coverage that a private plan chooses to add. That means it shows up through Medicare Advantage plans, some other Medicare health plans, or some Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans, not through Original Medicare itself.

Keep in mind that SilverSneakers is separate from your medical costs. Your 2026 Part B standard premium of $202.90 per month, the $283 annual Part B deductible, and the 20% coinsurance on most covered services all apply to medical care, not to the fitness benefit.

Which Medicare plans include SilverSneakers?

SilverSneakers is most commonly included as a no-additional-cost extra benefit on Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans. It is also offered with some Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans, and with some Medicare Cost plans or group retiree plans. Availability is never guaranteed, though; it varies by carrier, plan, and county.

Medicare Advantage plans are private plans that bundle your Part A and Part B coverage, usually add prescription drug coverage, and often layer on extras like dental, vision, and fitness benefits such as SilverSneakers. Medigap plans work differently. They are sold alongside Original Medicare to help pay your out-of-pocket costs, and a fitness perk like SilverSneakers, when offered, is an optional add-on from the insurer rather than a standard part of the policy.

• Medicare Advantage (Part C): the most common way SilverSneakers is included, often at no extra cost
• Some Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans: offered by certain insurers as an optional perk
• Some Medicare Cost plans and group/employer retiree plans
• Original Medicare: never includes it

Which carriers offer SilverSneakers (and which don't)?

Which carriers include SilverSneakers changes over time, so this is a general guide, not a guarantee for your exact plan.

Aetna includes a SilverSneakers basic fitness membership at no additional cost on most of its Medicare Advantage plans. It is not offered with Aetna's Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs), and it is not available on prescription-drug-only plans.

Humana also includes the SilverSneakers fitness program at no extra cost on most of its Medicare Advantage plans, though it notes availability is not guaranteed on every plan or in every area.

UnitedHealthcare is the main exception to know about. UnitedHealthcare, including AARP-branded UHC plans, generally offers a program called Renew Active rather than SilverSneakers. UnitedHealthcare announced in 2018 that it would replace SilverSneakers with Renew Active for its Medicare Advantage members.

SilverSneakers vs. Renew Active: what's the difference?

Both SilverSneakers and Renew Active are no-extra-cost fitness benefits offered through private Medicare plans, and both give you access to a network of fitness locations. The main difference is which insurers offer them and what each program emphasizes.

SilverSneakers is offered through many carriers, including Aetna and Humana, and centers on participating gyms, group classes, online classes, on-demand workouts, and its mobile app. Renew Active is UnitedHealthcare's program and includes access to a fitness-location network plus brain-health activities. If having SilverSneakers specifically matters to you, check the carrier before enrolling, because a UnitedHealthcare or AARP plan will typically offer Renew Active instead.

Eligibility, cost, and how to verify your plan

SilverSneakers is designed for Medicare-eligible adults. You qualify by having a participating Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan, and most members become eligible around age 65, when most people first become eligible for Medicare. When your plan includes it, the basic membership comes at no added cost as part of that plan.

Because SilverSneakers is an optional extra benefit that a carrier chooses to offer, plans can add or drop it from year to year. A plan that included SilverSneakers this year may not include it next year. That is why it is important to confirm the benefit before you enroll and again at the start of each plan year.

If your plan drops SilverSneakers, you have options. You can wait for a Medicare enrollment period and compare other Medicare Advantage or Medigap plans in your county that include it, then switch. Medicare.gov advises calling the plan directly to verify gym and fitness coverage, since the most reliable confirmation comes from the plan itself.

• Eligibility comes through a participating plan, typically at age 65 / Medicare eligibility
• No added cost when your plan includes it
• Access the program with a 16-digit SilverSneakers ID (get it online or by phone)
• Always call the specific plan to confirm SilverSneakers is included before and during each plan year