Why Is the SilverSneakers Program Being Discontinued At YMCAs?
Key Points
- Those wondering is the SilverSneakers program being discontinued? should know it is not being discontinued nationally, but it is being dropped or reduced in some plans and clubs.
- Economic and reimbursement pressures are leading some gyms and Medicare Advantage plans to scale back or discontinue local SilverSneakers access, even though the national program still exists.
- Low per-visit payments to gyms and rising healthcare costs for insurers contribute to seniors worrying that the SilverSneakers program is being discontinued in their area.
For more than two decades, the SilverSneakers program has been celebrated as a national success story—an elegant, mutually beneficial alignment between Tivity Health, fitness centers, seniors, and Medicare-related payers.
But beneath the surface, each stakeholder is facing tightening financial pressures that threaten the long-term stability of the program. What was once a reliable, feel-good benefit is now straining under the weight of economic realities.
Is the SilverSneakers Program Going Away or Being Discontinued? Is SilverSneakers Still Free With Medicare?
The SilverSneakers program is not ending nationwide, but economic pressures on gyms, insurers, and Tivity Health are causing some plans and facilities to discontinue local participation, so seniors’ access increasingly depends on where they live, which plan they choose, and which clubs remain in the network.
How Much Does SilverSneakers Pay Gyms? Why Did My Gym Stop Accepting SilverSneakers?
The 22,000 fitness centers that participate in SilverSneakers are feeling the squeeze most directly. Many receive $3 per visit for each senior who checks in.
For some gyms, especially those with large senior populations, this creates a financial imbalance. Seniors, who often attend more frequently than younger members, place steady demand on equipment, locker rooms, staff, and class capacity.
While some gyms view the program as a useful off-peak revenue enhancer, others—especially YMCAs and full-service clubs—find the economics increasingly unsustainable.
This tension recently surfaced publicly in Minneapolis–St. Paul, where major players like the YMCA and Lifetime Fitness have withdrawn from SilverSneakers and similar programs, citing reimbursement rates that no longer cover the cost-of-service delivery.
The result is frustration on all sides: gyms lose active members, and seniors feel displaced by facilities they’ve relied on for years.
How Does Medicare Pay for SilverSneakers? Why Did Medicare/My Health Plan Remove SilverSneakers?
Medicare Advantage plans and other senior-focused insurers subsidize SilverSneakers through per-member-per-month or per-visit payments to Tivity. But these payers are facing their own pressures.
Healthcare costs continue to rise faster than reimbursement rates from the federal government. As Medicare Advantage plans face reductions in margins, fitness benefits become a target for cuts—not because they lack value, but because they’re one of the few discretionary line items.
Insurers privately acknowledge that fitness programs help with member satisfaction, retention, and even long-term health outcomes. Yet the need to control immediate costs drives some plans to drop or replace SilverSneakers, creating instability across the system.
How Many Seniors Use SilverSneakers?
Perhaps no group feels the pinch more personally than the roughly 18 million seniors who use or are eligible for SilverSneakers. For many older adults, gym visits are more than exercise—they represent social connection, independence, and emotional well-being.
When a health plan drops the program or a local facility withdraws, seniors often experience it as a loss of community. This is happening across regions—including Minnesota—where former participants are confused, frustrated, and worried about losing a routine that is central to their physical and social health.
Is Tivity Health SilverSneakers?
Finally, Tivity Health itself faces growing strain. SilverSneakers is its flagship product and revenue engine—a “cash cow” that must remain attractive to gyms, insurers, and millions of seniors. But as gyms push back on reimbursement levels and insurers tighten spending, Tivity is squeezed from both sides.
To retain its dominant position, Tivity must innovate, negotiate, and demonstrate measurable value—while competing against aggressive alternatives like Renew Active and Silver&Fit.
SilverSneakers 2026 Changes: What’s Next?
SilverSneakers remains a widely loved national program, but its underlying economics are faltering. Unless stakeholders find ways to rebalance incentives, the cracks already visible may widen, leaving seniors with fewer options and the entire ecosystem with diminishing returns.
The program’s future may depend on one thing: whether its economic model can be adjusted enough to keep gyms, insurers, and seniors all sustainably invested in SilverSneakers over the long term.
For further reading, be sure to read our in-depth guide, The Ultimate Guide on How to Open a Gym Business if you’re curious about starting a fitness business in 2025. You can also check out The Minnesota Star Tribune’s relevant article, Blue Cross of Minnesota cutting SilverSneakers access at YMCA and Life Time locations.
Key Takeaways
- The SilverSneakers program is not being discontinued nationwide, but seniors may lose access when individual gyms or Medicare Advantage plans decide the current reimbursement model no longer works for them financially.
- Gym operators facing heavy senior usage and low per-visit reimbursement must weigh the community value of SilverSneakers against the strain on equipment, staff, and class capacity.
- Insurers under pressure from rising medical costs and flat Medicare payments may drop or replace SilverSneakers with lower-cost alternatives, reducing the number of plans that include the benefit.
