Does Medicare Cover Gym Membership? 

Uncategorized

Medical professionals and researchers say that staying active throughout life can help people prevent heart disease and diabetes, delay the onset of dementia, and provide many other benefits for health. Not only that, but seniors who get regular physical exercise also improve their strength and flexibility lowering their risk of falling; plus they maintain social engagement avoiding loneliness, depression, and isolation. 

Getting enough quality physical activity after retirement isn’t easy for everyone but signing up for a gym membership can get you headed on the right track. While Original Medicare doesn’t offer coverage for fitness club enrollment, many Medicare Advantage plans include gym memberships as extra benefits. If you’re interested in getting a deal on a monthly fitness club membership, maybe a Medicare Advantage plan can help. 

Does Medicare cover gym memberships? 

As mentioned above, Original Medicare doesn’t cover gym membership fees. You might find a Medicare Advantage plan that includes additional benefits beyond your Part A and Part B coverage, such as fitness programs.

Today, more and more Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are adding extra benefits to their coverage to attract new beneficiaries. These additional benefits are often prescription drug coverage, vision, hearing, dental care services, and fitness club memberships like SilverSneakers. 

SilverSneakers is a fitness program available across the country and specifically tailored for adults 65 and older. With a SilverSneakers membership, you have access to in-person and online programs and services.  

If you have a membership, you can use any of the 17,000 fitness centers in the country where you can find specially designed fitness classes for all fitness levels. They have chair exercise classes, water aerobics, yoga, tai chi, weightlifting, circuit training, and a lot more programs. And if you can’t get out to a gym, you can use their app or online videos. 

If you don’t have a SilverSneakers program in your Medicare service area, your Medicare Advantage provider might offer a gym membership through a different program. Or the plan may have monthly allowances that go toward membership fees so you can enroll in a fitness or wellness program that you prefer in your area. 

Most Medicare Advantage plans bundle the extra benefits, so you don’t have to pay separate charges. However, there are some plans that offer extra benefits like fitness club memberships for an additional charge. You can ask a plan representative about these charges before you enroll. 

What other wellness services does Medicare cover? 

Both Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage cover wellness services that are medically necessary. Medicare Advantage plans often extend this coverage include supplemental services. Some of the wellness services covered by Medicare are: 

  • Diabetic care programs
  • Heart health programs and cholesterol screening
  • Preventive care screenings
  • Mental health care
  • Addiction and substance use disorder care
  • Smoking cessation programs
  • Nutritional counseling
  • Weight loss counseling and surgery

These services are available to Medicare beneficiaries who meet eligibility requirements. You can ask your health care provider about the programs and requirements.

Similar Posts

Does Medicare Cover Jardiance? 

According to statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are over 37 million people in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Over 90 percent of those people have type two diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports that 50 percent of Americans who are over 65 have prediabetes and have an elevated risk of developing type two diabetes.   Your risk of getting type two diabetes is higher in the following instances:  You’re prediabetic You’re overweight You’re 45 or…

Does Medicare Cover Mole Removal? 

Everyone wants to have healthy clear skin, but in reality, no one has perfect skin. Freckles, blemishes, wrinkles – all of these features can affect the way skin looks and feels. For the most part, these features are benign. Moles, however, can be a sign of a more serious condition like skin cancer. Seniors are encouraged to check for new moles on a regular basis. Most moles are benign, but if a mole changes color, has irregular borders or is painful or bleeding, you’re encouraged…

Does Medicare Cover Remicade? 

Autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis affect millions of people in the United States, many of whom are over the age of 65.  Symptoms of these autoimmune diseases can be quite uncomfortable and even debilitating. Joint pain, inflammation, severe itching, inflamed and tender skin, as well as diarrhea and cramping are just a few common issues that people with these conditions must live with unless they are treated. If you are diagnosed with one of these autoimmune diseases, your…

What Does Medicare Supplement Plan K Cover? 

If you have Original Medicare and need some additional coverage to help lower your out-of-pocket costs, a Medigap plan might be a solution. In the United States today, over 14.5 million Medicare beneficiaries get additional coverage from a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) plan. These plans are sold by private insurance companies and are available to purchase by people who are enrolled in Original Medicare Parts A and B and meet the criteria. If you have a Medigap plan, your Medicare insurance remains your primary payer….

How Does Medicare Determine Income? 

In the United States, there are approximately 63 million people enrolled in the federal health insurance program known as Medicare.  You might be eligible for enrollment in Medicare if you’re 65 or older, a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident living in the country for at least five years. People who are under 65 years old can also enroll in Medicare if they have qualifying disabilities or end-stage renal disease.  Unlike Medicaid, you don’t have to meet low-income requirements to be eligible for enrollment in…

Does Medicare Cover Low-T treatment? 

Testosterone, the male sex hormone, is essential to sexual development in males. The American Urology Association (AUA) has historically identified low blood testosterone as less than 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). The condition is known as Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TD) or Low Testosterone (Low-T). Symptoms and treatment When you have Low-T, you may experience a diminished sex drive, fatigue, low lean muscle mass, depression, irritability and erectile dysfunction. Since these symptoms can arise from many other health conditions, your doctor may order lab work, an…