SilverSneakers and Renew Active are two different brand-name fitness benefits attached to private Medicare plans. You do not qualify for either one by age, income, or fitness level. You qualify only if the specific plan you are enrolled in buys that program for its members. SilverSneakers is run by Tivity Health and appears on plans from many different insurers. Renew Active is UnitedHealthcare's own program and appears only on certain UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans and AARP Medicare Supplement plans. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) covers neither. If you are comparing plans during the enrollment window that runs October 15 to December 7, 2026 for 2027 coverage, the fitness program is part of the plan, not a separate thing you can buy.
SilverSneakers vs Renew Active at a Glance
| Feature | SilverSneakers | Renew Active |
|---|
| Who runs it | Tivity Health, Inc. | UnitedHealthcare |
| Which plans offer it | Medicare Advantage and some Medicare Supplement plans from many different insurers | Certain UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans and AARP Medicare Supplement plans from UnitedHealthcare |
| Cost to the member | No additional cost on plans that include it | No additional cost on plans that include it |
| Gym network size | Health plan materials commonly cite about 17,000 gyms and community locations | UnitedHealthcare describes "a large national network of gyms and fitness locations" and does not publish a count; "gym networks may vary in local market" |
| Group classes at the gym | Yes, instructor-led SilverSneakers classes | Varies; plan materials describe classes, equipment access, and group activities |
| Live online classes | Yes | Yes |
| On-demand video library | Yes | Yes, "thousands of on-demand workout videos" |
| Mobile app | SilverSneakers GO | UnitedHealthcare app provides the confirmation code |
| Brain health add-on | Separate online mental enrichment classes on some plans | AARP Staying Sharp, with a cognitive assessment and lifestyle check-ins |
| Can you buy it on your own | No | No |
| Available with Original Medicare alone | No | No |
The practical difference is reach, not quality. SilverSneakers appears across many carriers, so it is the program most people have heard of and the one most likely to be honored at a neighborhood YMCA or community center. Renew Active is tied to one insurer. The real question is not which program is better, it is which plan you want, and what fitness benefit comes with it.
What Medicare Itself Covers
Medicare.gov states plainly that "Original Medicare doesn't cover gym memberships or fitness programs, but these may be part of the extra coverage offered by Medicare Advantage Plans" and other Medicare health plans or Medigap policies.
That single sentence explains almost every question people have about SilverSneakers. There is no federal gym benefit. There is no form to file with Social Security or CMS. A fitness program exists only because a private plan chose to pay for it as a supplemental benefit, and it disappears the moment you leave that plan.
If you want the longer comparison of what the two sides of Medicare do and do not include, see our guide to Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare. For the general question of whether Medicare Advantage covers a gym at all, our sister site answers it here: does Medicare Advantage cover gym memberships.
SilverSneakers Eligibility in 2027
There are three ways a person ends up with SilverSneakers:
- A Medicare Advantage plan that includes it. This is the most common route. Many insurers contract with Tivity Health and fold the membership into their Part C plans at no extra premium.
- A Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy that includes it. Fitness programs are not part of the standardized Medigap benefit letters (Plan G, Plan N, and so on). Some insurers add a fitness program as a value-added extra on top of the standardized coverage. It is a company perk, not insurance, and the company can change or end it.
- A group retiree plan. Some employer and union retiree health plans include it.
Eligibility rules worth knowing:
- Age alone does not qualify you. Turning 65 does not grant SilverSneakers.
- Income does not qualify you. This is not a low-income program and there is no income test.
- You cannot buy a membership. If your plan does not include it, there is no direct-pay option.
- Prescription-drug-only coverage does not include it. A standalone Part D plan is not a health plan and carries no fitness benefit. Aetna, for example, states its SilverSneakers benefit is "not available to members with prescription drug-only coverage (PDP plans)."
- Some plan types are carved out. The same Aetna page notes that "SilverSneakers membership is not offered with Aetna Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs)."
What a SilverSneakers membership includes
Health plan descriptions of the benefit consistently list the same components: a basic membership at participating fitness locations, instructor-led SilverSneakers group classes, live online fitness classes, an on-demand video library, community classes held outside a gym, and the SilverSneakers GO mobile app for tracking workouts. Highmark Wholecare's plan page describes "17,000 gyms and community locations in the network."
One caution about that number. Participating locations are not owned by Tivity Health, and the network changes as individual gyms join and leave. A chain that honored your membership in 2026 may not in 2027. Always confirm with the specific location before you build a routine around it.
Renew Active Eligibility in 2027
Renew Active is UnitedHealthcare's program, and UnitedHealthcare describes it as including:
- "Free gym membership at a fitness location you select from a large national network"
- "Thousands of on-demand workout videos and live streaming fitness classes"
- Access to AARP Staying Sharp for brain health, with a cognitive assessment and lifestyle check-ins
- "Local health and wellness classes and activities" such as walking groups, pickleball, and yoga
Members get a Renew Active confirmation code from the UnitedHealthcare member site or app and present it at a participating location.
The eligibility language on UnitedHealthcare's own page is the part to read twice: "The Renew Active Program and its gym network varies by plan/area and may not be available on all plans." Two UnitedHealthcare members in different counties, or on different plans in the same county, can get different answers.
Renew Active also appears on AARP Medicare Supplement plans insured by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, where the company describes "a gym membership at no additional cost." The fine print there says participation is voluntary and the offering "may be discontinued at any time." That is standard wording for a value-added extra, and it is accurate: a fitness perk on a Medigap policy is not a guaranteed insurance benefit.
Other Fitness Program Names You Will See
SilverSneakers and Renew Active get the search traffic, but they are not the only two. If your plan documents name a program you do not recognize, it is probably one of these:
| Program | Operated by | Notes |
|---|
| Silver&Fit | American Specialty Health Fitness, Inc. (ASH Fitness) | Program materials cite more than 18,500 gym and fitness centers, plus home fitness kits, well-being coaching, and on-demand video |
| One Pass Select | UnitedHealthcare | A separate UnitedHealthcare wellness program offered alongside Renew Active on some plans |
| Active&Fit Direct | ASH Fitness | A paid consumer membership, not a Medicare benefit; anyone can buy it |
| Plan-branded fitness benefits | Individual insurers | Some plans run their own benefit with no national brand name and reimburse gym dues up to a dollar cap |
The last row matters more than people expect. A plan can satisfy the "fitness benefit" label with a modest annual reimbursement rather than a full membership, which counts the same in the marketing and feels very different at the front desk of a gym.
How Many 2027 Plans Actually Include a Gym Benefit
Fitness benefits are widespread but not universal. KFF's analysis of Medicare Advantage benefits, published June 5, 2026, found that 91% of enrollees in individual Medicare Advantage plans were in plans offering a fitness benefit for 2026. That leaves a real minority with no fitness benefit at all, and the share that offers one has drifted in both directions year to year as insurers trim supplemental benefits.
More to the point for 2027: "my plan offers a fitness benefit" and "my plan offers the specific program I use" are different claims. A plan can keep a fitness benefit, switch vendors, and leave you with a membership at a gym chain that is 20 miles further away.
How to Check Whether Your 2027 Plan Includes It
Do these in order. The first two are the only ones that are authoritative for the 2027 plan year.
- Read your Annual Notice of Change. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans must mail the ANOC by September 30 each year, so yours arrived before this year's enrollment window opened. It lists what changes January 1. Look for the fitness or wellness line, not just the premium and the drug list.
- Read the 2027 Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage. The ANOC summarizes changes; the EOC is the contract. If the fitness program is a covered supplemental benefit, it is named there. If it is a value-added extra, it may appear only in a separate rider or mailer, which is your signal that it is changeable.
- Call the member services number on your plan card. Ask two questions: does my 2027 plan include a fitness benefit, and which program is it. Get the program name, not a yes.
- Check the program's own eligibility tool. SilverSneakers runs an eligibility check at silversneakers.com where you enter your health plan information or member ID, and health plan pages list SilverSneakers support at 888-423-4632 (TTY 711). UnitedHealthcare members sign in to the member site or app to see whether Renew Active shows for their plan and to pull a confirmation code.
- Call the gym before you join. Confirm that the specific location accepts the specific program in 2027, and ask what a "basic membership" excludes there. Premium classes, pools, and personal training are frequently outside the benefit.
- Call the SHIP in your state for a neutral read. State Health Insurance Assistance Programs give free, unbiased Medicare counseling and are not paid by any insurer. See our guide to free Medicare help near you.
One timing note. If you are checking eligibility for a plan you have not joined yet, the eligibility tool cannot answer you. It reads your current enrollment. For a plan you are shopping, the Summary of Benefits is the answer.
What a "Free" Gym Membership Actually Costs
The membership carries no additional charge, but the plan it rides on is not free.
| Cost | 2026 amount | 2027 status |
|---|
| Part B standard premium | $202.90 a month | CMS had not published the 2027 figure as of today, October 26, 2026. It usually comes out in mid-November. Do not plan around a projection. |
| Part B annual deductible | $283 | Not published for 2027 |
| Medicare Advantage plan premium | Set by each plan; many are $0 | Set by each plan |
| Part D out-of-pocket cap | $2,100 | $2,400, effective January 1, 2027 |
Almost everyone on Medicare Advantage still pays the Part B premium. If you are weighing a plan mainly for its gym benefit, compare that against what you would pay for a gym on your own. A membership at a basic national chain often runs $15 to $30 a month, which is a smaller number than a difference in out-of-pocket maximum, drug tier placement, or specialist copays. Our rundown of which extras actually move the math is here: Medicare Advantage plan features worth comparing.
Enrollment Dates That Apply
| Window | Dates | What you can do |
|---|
| Medicare Open Enrollment (AEP) | October 15 to December 7, 2026 | Join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Coverage starts January 1, 2027, and the plan must get your request by December 7 |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment | January 1 to March 31, 2027 | If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, switch to a different one or go back to Original Medicare. Coverage starts the first of the month after the plan gets your request |
A fitness benefit is not a reason that creates a special enrollment period. If you discover in February that your plan dropped SilverSneakers, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment window is your opening, and only if you are in a Medicare Advantage plan. See how to switch Medicare Advantage plans for the mechanics, and note that some plans are also leaving counties entirely for 2027: Medicare Advantage plans exiting counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SilverSneakers free with Medicare?
No. Original Medicare does not include SilverSneakers. The membership costs nothing extra only if you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, a Medicare Supplement policy, or a group retiree plan that includes it. You still pay your Part B premium, which was $202.90 a month in 2026.
Does UnitedHealthcare have SilverSneakers?
UnitedHealthcare offers its own program, Renew Active, rather than SilverSneakers on its Medicare plans. UnitedHealthcare also notes that Renew Active "varies by plan/area and may not be available on all plans," so a UnitedHealthcare member should confirm against their own plan documents instead of assuming either program.
Can I buy a SilverSneakers membership if my plan does not include it?
No. SilverSneakers is offered only through participating health plans and there is no individual purchase option. If your plan does not have it, the comparable choices are a different plan at the next enrollment window, a program your plan does offer, a paid consumer membership such as Active&Fit Direct, or a direct membership at a gym.
Do I have to be 65 to get SilverSneakers or Renew Active?
Not necessarily. Eligibility follows the plan, not your age. People under 65 who qualify for Medicare through disability and enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes a fitness benefit generally get it on the same terms. Medicare Supplement value-added programs can set their own age rules, so check the specific policy. Our guide to Medicare for people under 65 on SSDI covers that path.
What is the difference between SilverSneakers and Silver&Fit?
They are competing programs from different companies. SilverSneakers is a Tivity Health program; Silver&Fit is run by American Specialty Health Fitness, Inc. Both deliver a gym membership plus online and at-home options through health plans, and neither can be bought on its own. Which one you have depends entirely on which vendor your insurer contracted with.
My plan had SilverSneakers in 2026. Will I still have it in 2027?
Not automatically. Insurers renegotiate supplemental benefits every year, and a plan can drop a fitness program, switch vendors, or narrow the network while keeping the program name. Your Annual Notice of Change, mailed by September 30, 2026, is the document that says what changed for January 1, 2027. Confirm there rather than assuming the benefit carried over.
Does a Medigap plan include a gym benefit?
Standardized Medigap plans (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, N) do not include fitness benefits as part of the standardized coverage. Some insurers add a fitness program as a separate perk, and UnitedHealthcare does this with Renew Active on AARP Medicare Supplement plans. Because it is not part of the standardized benefit, the insurer can change or end it. For the broader comparison, see Medicare Advantage vs Medigap.
Which gyms take SilverSneakers?
Participating locations include many national chains, YMCAs, and community and senior centers, and health plan pages describe a network of about 17,000 locations. The network is not fixed. Individual gyms join and leave, so check the current participating-location search and call the gym before enrolling.
Sources
- Medicare.gov, gym memberships and fitness programs: "Original Medicare doesn't cover gym memberships or fitness programs." Medicare.gov, joining a plan: Open Enrollment October 15 to December 7; Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment January 1 to March 31
- UnitedHealthcare, Medicare Advantage member fitness benefits page and AARP Medicare Supplement wellness extras page (Renew Active contents, confirmation code, "varies by plan/area," "gym networks may vary in local market")
- Aetna, SilverSneakers fitness program page (program contents, Tivity Health trademark, PDP and I-SNP exclusions); Highmark Wholecare fitness benefit page (17,000 locations, SilverSneakers support at 888-423-4632, TTY 711)
- American Specialty Health, Silver&Fit program materials (operator and network description)
- KFF, "Medicare Advantage in 2026: Premiums, Out-of-Pocket Limits, Supplemental Benefits, and Prior Authorization," June 5, 2026 (91% of individual Medicare Advantage enrollees in plans offering a fitness benefit)
- CMS, "2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles," November 14, 2025 (Part B premium $202.90, deductible $283). CMS had not published 2027 Part A and Part B figures as of October 26, 2026. CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement (2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap of $2,400)
- CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D plan communication rules requiring the Annual Notice of Change by September 30
Benefits Navigator is not affiliated with Medicare, CMS, Tivity Health, UnitedHealthcare, or any insurer, and does not sell or enroll anyone in insurance. Program names are used for identification only. Your plan's 2027 Evidence of Coverage controls what you actually have.
