Silver Sneakers – the Good vs. the 'Bad'

By Lois Thompson

The Silver Sneakers program features many excellent components. With its emphasis on physical activity and socialization, Silver Sneakers is a fitness benefit available to adults aged 65-and-older at fitness and exercise facilities, including certain gyms, YMCAs, municipal recreation centers, community exercise classes, and other community-based facilities.

In addition to in-person classes, members can take advantage of online classes, as well as ondemand videos. These classes focus on such topics as fall prevention, flexibility, nutrition, stress relief, and cardiovascular health. Overall, Silver Sneakers offers members a combination of fitness and mental health enrichment.

And best of all, you can access all of these services at no cost.

However, as wonderful as Silver Sneakers is, there is a downside: it's not open for everyone. While Silver Sneakers is designed for those 65-plus, it is not available through Medicare, but instead through certain Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare supplement carriers. To check to see if you are eligible in your current plan, visit tools.silversneakers.com/Eligibility/CheckEligibility.

To find a plan that does offer it, go to Medicare.gov, or talk to an independent Medicare insurance broker. A local senior center may also be able to answer questions.

A sample of the many local facilities that currently offer Silver Sneakers membership are: Bethel Park Community Center, JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, Planet Fitness, Webb's World of Fitness, IC Fitness, Platinum Fitness Center, Anytime Fitness, LA Fitness, Powerhouse Gym.

A word of caution: as beneficial as it is, Silver Sneakers should not be your sole requirement when choosing a Medicare health care plan. You need to weigh other options and benefits to determine which plan best fits your budget and still meets your needs. Making sure that you can maintain your preferred doctors and that the prescriptions and pharmacy you use are included in your chosen network should take precedence.

Also, note that insurers are not required to offer Silver Sneakers in their benefit package, so your plan could withdraw it in the future.