When you are talking about original Medicare, your outpatient, and inpatient medical care and a few preventive care services are covered. However, Medicare doesn’t cover your fitness programs and gym memberships. If you are looking out for something that would cover your fitness services, optional Medicare plans such as Medigap and Medicare Advantage might be of some help.
We would discuss the following points in detail regarding how you can avail of these plans to get your fitness expenditures covered. Aside from that, you will also get to know how you can get original Medicare to cover the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Have a read.
Will Medicare Cover Your Gym Membership?
There are two parts of original Medicare – Part A and Part B. While Part A covers all the expenditures related to inpatient hospital services, Part B provides you with coverage of outpatient services as well as a few preventive services. You might believe that fitness programs might fall under the category of preventive services. Part B of the original Medicare plan only covers physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic care, cardiac rehabilitation, and durable medical equipment.
If you haven’t gone through a medical diagnosis, including rehabilitation or physical therapy, you will have to pay for the entire expense of your gym memberships or fitness center. This means you have to pay from your pocket if you have only the original Medicare cover.
You can choose optional Medicare plans, like Medicare Advantage, which is also popular as Medicare Part C. You could also pick Medigap (also termed as Medicare supplement Insurance). The benefit you receive from these plans is that they will cover your gym and fitness center fees. Coverage would depend on the type of plan, location, and the amount you can pay for your health insurance plan.
How Would a Medicare Advantage Plan Help You in Getting a Gym Membership?
Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Part C is an optional plan that you get from private insurance companies. Part C is necessary to provide coverage almost as much as the coverage provided by original Medicare when the focus is on outpatient, inpatient, and preventive care services.
Some plans provide more services than what you get from Original Medicare. The additional benefits you get from each plan depending on your location, your insurance provider, the amount of money you can spend on coverage, and the services you opt for.
Does Medigap Cover Gym Memberships?
Medicare Advantage Plans or Medicare Part C covers gym memberships and fitness programs more often than Medigap plans. Medigap plans provide coverage of your part of Medicare services rather than your services such as fitness programs. Certain plans cover fitness programs. If you require coverage for fitness membership, go through different Medigap plans and compare them before enrolling.
Are You Entitled for Medicare Benefits Under Medicare?
If you keep gym memberships and fitness programs aside, you get many services related to wellness covered by Medicare. Original Medicare, as well as Medicare Advantage Plans, provides coverage on several wellness services. They are either counted as a medically necessary service or a supplemental service under the Medicare Advantage Plan.
The list of services includes mental health visits, heart health, cholesterol programs, preventive health screenings, and diabetes care. It also includes smoking cessation programs, weight loss surgery, dental care, nutritional counseling, and addiction and substance use disorder services.
What is SilverSneakers?
This happens to be a fitness program specially designed for those who are 65 and above. While original Medicare doesn’t cover this program, you will get quite a few Medicare Advantage Plans that would cover fitness programs like SilverSneakers. A gym membership is not the only thing that you would get from a SilverSneakers program.
There are many benefits attached, such as wide availability, online resources, tailored fitness classes, SilverSneakers Flex classes, and SilverSneakers app. Since the program is a part of several Medicare Advantage Plans, there is no extra cost involved. The eligibility criteria vary from one plan to another. You can check the details on its website.
Original Medicare does not cover the cost of fitness programs and gym memberships. But Medicare Advantage Plans might cover them. Medigap plans tend to provide coverage for several fitness benefits.