If you are an avid gym goer, it is reasonable to want to save money on dues and fees wherever you can – especially if you can get your health insurance to pay for it. The good news is that this is actually possible! Many health insurance companies, although they will not pay for the entire membership, do offer partial coverage for certain gym amenities. So keep reading if you want to find out which health plans and programs can help you save money on your gym attendance.
Does Original Medicare Pay For Gym Memberships?
Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) does not cover any gym memberships or gym-related costs. However, Medicare Advantage plans do offer partial coverage or complete coverage for gym memberships. There are also other private health insurance options that can cover gym memberships if you are not enrolled in the Medicare Advantage plan.
Private Health Insurance and Gym Memberships
Health insurance companies are now leaning towards gym membership programs as a preventive measure to other illnesses. A few insurances are choosing to add gym memberships onto their plans as a benefit in order to promote a well-rounded healthy lifestyle. The level of coverage is dependent on the private insurer you have or choose to enroll with.
Ways Health Insurance Companies Cover Gym Memberships
Besides offering an allowance of cash to cover gym membership costs, health insurance companies are implementing other methods to promote healthy lifestyles.
Discounted Insurance Rates
If your insurer is notified that you are living an active, healthy lifestyle and are less likely to get ill as frequently as someone who doesn’t, they most likely will have a program that gives you a discounted rate. It is important to ask your insurer about such a program to see if they have one and if you qualify.
Fitness Equipment
There are two common ways that healthcare insurance companies usually go about this add-on benefit. One way is to give their clients fitness equipment for joining their insurance plan or some other milestone within their plan. The other way an insurer might use fitness equipment as an incentive is to cover certain fitness equipment under their plan.
Member-Exclusive Discounts
Certain healthcare companies have partnerships with popular gym chains such as LA Fitness or Anytime Fitness. With these partnerships comes perks for their clientele. If your insurer has a contract with a gym they typically offer you discounted membership deals and exclusive deals for just having one of their insurance plans!
Senior Discounts
A common senior incentive that health insurance companies use to promote a healthy lifestyle is Silver Sneakers. Several insurance plans cover Silver Sneakers and it is a great way to stay active and motivated with people who share the same lifestyle.
Incentive Programs
These programs work by offering a special offer if you complete something that works to better your health as a preventive measure. One example would include getting a reimbursement for a weight-loss plan you joined or some sort of discount.
The Health Insurance Companies Offering Gym Membership Benefits
Although there are many different insurance plans that offer gym membership benefits and healthy lifestyle perks, each insurance company can choose what they offer and how they offer it to their clients. Below are a few companies that offer some of these gym benefits.
Aetna
If having gym benefits is a must for you, Aetna should definitely be an insurance program to take a deeper look at. Aetna offers a gym membership reimbursement program for their group products and Medicare Advantage plan, as well as the Silver Sneakers Program if you are enrolled through their Medicare Advantage plan.
Amerihealth
Healthy Lifestyles, Amerihealth’s gym membership program, offers gym reimbursements up to $150 annually. In addition, they also offer an allowance of $150 annually each for weight management and smoking cessation programs.
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross Blue Shield offers their own fitness program, Fitness Your Way by Tivity Health. This program involves a $29 enrollment and $29 monthly fee for access to a gym membership and additional amenities at over 10,000 fitness centers across the country.
Cigna
Cigna has a healthy rewards program that can offer up to 40% back on gym membership reimbursements. To learn about Cigna’s programs, you must call to specify what opportunities can be offered to you depending on your lifestyle.
Oscar
This healthcare insurance group offers a gym reimbursement of up to $400 annually for the client and another $200 allowance for their spouse. This is a great and high-valued reimbursement plan for those who have individual plans!
Where Can You Purchase Health Insurance?
You can purchase individual health insurance directly from the insurer, through a third-party company, or through the Marketplace! If you wish to enroll through the Marketplace, you must register within the Open Enrollment Period or special enrollment period if you qualify. To learn more about the enrollment dates and guidelines you can find easy instructions right now on HealthCare.gov. Whether you choose to take a program with gym benefits or not, it is always important to live a healthy lifestyle to help reduce the risk of future illnesses. Even if you don’t receive any direct benefit from your health insurance provider, the improved health over time will save you money on your medical costs in the long run.
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