Silver&Fit vs SilverSneakers: Which Medicare Plans Offer Each in 2027
Reviewed October 31, 2026. Silver&Fit and SilverSneakers are separate senior fitness programs that some Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans include at no extra cost. Silver&Fit is run by ASH Fitness, part of American Specialty Health; SilverSneakers is run by Tivity Health. Both give you gym access and online workouts, but you can’t pick one on your own: your health plan decides which program, if any, you get, and Original Medicare covers neither.
Quick answer: If fitness matters to you, choose a Medicare plan whose 2027 benefits include the program and gyms you want. Aetna says all its individual Medicare Advantage members (except institutional special needs plans) keep a SilverSneakers basic membership in 2027, and Humana says SilverSneakers comes with most of its Medicare Advantage plans. For Silver&Fit, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s 2027 Medicare Blue Choice plans in New York are one confirmed example; Wellcare and Kaiser Permanente use One Pass instead. TRICARE can’t pay for either program.
Silver&Fit vs. SilverSneakers at a glance
| Silver&Fit | SilverSneakers | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | ASH Fitness, a subsidiary of American Specialty Health | Tivity Health |
| Gym network | 26,000+ gyms, fitness centers and exercise studios, per ASH (each plan decides which are $0) | Thousands of participating locations nationwide |
| Home option | One Home Fitness kit per benefit year | Not listed on the program site |
| Online workouts | On-demand library of 15,000+ workout videos, per ASH | Live online classes and workshops, on-demand library, SilverSneakers GO app |
| How you get it | Through a participating health plan | Through a participating health plan |
| 2027 carrier examples | Excellus BCBS Medicare Blue Choice Optimum and Freedom (NY); check your plan | Aetna (individual MA plans), most Humana MA plans, Blue Shield of California |
| Original Medicare or TRICARE? | No | No |
Gym networks change, and the same chain may take one program and not the other, or only at some locations. Confirm the specific gym before you enroll in a plan for its fitness benefit.
What is the Silver&Fit program?
Silver&Fit is a fitness and healthy-aging program provided by ASH Fitness, a subsidiary of American Specialty Health. Depending on the plan, it can include a membership at participating fitness centers or select YMCAs, one Home Fitness kit per benefit year, and on-demand workout videos. Silver&Fit’s site doesn’t name participating health plans; it sends you to a plan lookup instead. Read Silver&Fit’s program description.
If you want a plan that includes it, see our step-by-step guide on how to find and enroll in a Medicare plan that includes Silver&Fit.
What is SilverSneakers?
SilverSneakers is Tivity Health’s senior fitness program. It offers access to thousands of participating locations, live online classes and workshops, an on-demand video library and the SilverSneakers GO app. Like Silver&Fit, it comes through participating Medicare Advantage plans, some Medicare Supplement plans and some group retiree plans. SilverSneakers has an online eligibility checker.
Which Medicare plans offer SilverSneakers or Silver&Fit in 2027?
Insurers decide plan by plan and year by year. Here’s what carriers have said about 2027 so far:
- Aetna: Aetna’s 2027 Medicare Advantage announcement says it will continue to offer a SilverSneakers basic fitness membership to all individual Medicare Advantage members at no additional cost, excluding Institutional Special Needs Plan members.
- Humana: Humana says SilverSneakers comes as a no-cost extra benefit in most Humana Medicare Advantage plans, alongside its Go365 rewards program. Its 2027 announcement doesn’t describe fitness changes.
- UnitedHealthcare: UnitedHealthcare uses its own program, Renew Active. See Renew Active explained.
- Wellcare: Wellcare doesn’t use Silver&Fit. Its fitness benefits page (updated October 1, 2026) tells members to “create an account with your fitness provider (OnePass),” with “over 15,000 locations,” and says most plans can also send workout equipment to your home. See whether Wellcare plans pay for gym memberships.
- Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (New York): the 2027 Summary of Benefits for Medicare Blue Choice Optimum (HMO-POS) H3351-006 and Freedom (HMO-POS) H3351-007 lists “access to Silver&Fit participating fitness centers for no annual membership fee” and “one Home Fitness kit per year,” and says you can choose both.
- Kaiser Permanente: 2027 Kaiser Medicare plans in Washington and Maryland list the One Pass fitness program, not Silver&Fit.
- Blue Shield of California: its 2027 Blue Shield Advantage (HMO) plans list “basic gym access through SilverSneakers” at $0.
Some plans have replaced named programs with a flexible allowance or card; see our explainer on what an OTC or flex card is. Always confirm in the plan’s 2027 Summary of Benefits.
Silver&Fit participating gyms: how to find one
ASH says its Silver&Fit network includes more than 26,000 gyms, fitness centers and studios, but each health plan chooses which locations are $0 for its members. To find participating gyms, sign in to the Silver&Fit site with your plan information, or call the member services number on your plan ID card and ask which locations take your plan. Members who prefer to exercise at home can usually pick one Home Fitness kit each benefit year (strength, yoga and other options) and use the on-demand video library instead.
Does Medicare cover Silver&Fit or SilverSneakers?
Not Original Medicare. Medicare.gov says Medicare doesn’t cover gym memberships or fitness programs, but some Medicare Advantage plans or Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies may offer them. If you have Original Medicare alone, you pay all costs. See Medicare’s gym membership coverage page.
Medicare vs. TRICARE: which one covers SilverSneakers?
Neither TRICARE nor Original Medicare does. TRICARE’s FAQ says that by law TRICARE can’t pay for exercise programs, including SilverSneakers and gym memberships. Military retirees with TRICARE For Life who want a fitness benefit would need a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan that includes one. Read more in Medicare vs. TRICARE and SilverSneakers and how TRICARE For Life works with Medicare.
How to check which program you have
- Look at your plan’s Evidence of Coverage or Summary of Benefits for “fitness,” “Silver&Fit” or “SilverSneakers.”
- Call the member services number on your plan ID card.
- Use the program’s online eligibility checker with your plan information.
- Before you switch plans, confirm the fitness benefit for the 2027 plan year. Benefits can change every January.
The Medicare Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027. Add the fitness benefit to your annual Medicare plan review.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Silver and Fit program?
A senior fitness program from ASH Fitness, part of American Specialty Health, that some Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and retiree plans include. It can include gym access, a yearly home fitness kit and on-demand workouts.
Is Silver&Fit the same as SilverSneakers?
No. They’re separate programs run by different companies with separate gym networks. Your health plan decides which one, if either, you can use.
Which is better, Silver&Fit or SilverSneakers?
The better one is whichever includes the gyms and classes you’ll actually use. Check both location searches for gyms near you before choosing a plan.
Is Silver&Fit free?
When your plan includes it, there’s usually no extra charge for the core program, but some premium gyms or classes may cost more. Check your plan details.
Does TRICARE cover SilverSneakers?
No. TRICARE says that by law it can’t pay for exercise programs, including SilverSneakers.
Can I have both Silver&Fit and SilverSneakers?
Only if you had coverage from two different plans that each include one. Most people with a single Medicare Advantage plan have one program at most.
Does Wellcare have Silver&Fit?
No. Wellcare’s fitness benefit runs through OnePass, which Wellcare says has over 15,000 locations. Check your plan’s 2027 Summary of Benefits for the details.
What insurance covers Silver and Fit?
Silver&Fit comes through participating Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and retiree plans, not through Original Medicare. One 2027 example is Excellus BCBS Medicare Blue Choice in New York. Ask your plan, because ASH doesn’t publish a national list of plans. If your plan uses SilverSneakers instead, see Humana gym membership with SilverSneakers.
This article is general information. Medicare365 is not affiliated with Silver&Fit, SilverSneakers, any insurer or the U.S. government, and program details are set by each health plan.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Gym memberships & fitness programs
- Silver&Fit: About the program
- SilverSneakers and eligibility checker
- Aetna: 2027 Medicare Advantage plans
- Humana: Gym membership and SilverSneakers
- Wellcare: 2027 Medicare offerings
- Wellcare: Fitness benefits
- Excellus BCBS: 2027 Medicare Blue Choice Summary of Benefits
- Kaiser Permanente Washington: 2027 Summary of Benefits
- Blue Shield of California: 2027 Blue Shield Advantage Summary of Benefits
- ASH: Silver&Fit program overview
- TRICARE: Does TRICARE cover SilverSneakers?