RECOMMENDED FOR THE WEEK OF 01/19-23/26. 

PLEASE DO NOT AIR AFTER JAN. 31.

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If your new year’s resolution includes working out more, your health plan  might help.

Many insurance plans offer discounted or even free gym memberships. Phil Galewitz [Gale-wits] from K-F-F Health News says insurance companies want to incentivize you to work out. 

GYMBEN_CC.wav  … dollars in costs.” :13

It’s relatively cheap for insurers and employers. I mean, spending a few hundred dollars for a fitness membership versus if you can avoid one visit to the emergency room, that’s avoiding several thousand dollars in costs.

Galewitz [Gale-wits] – who spoke with our partners at HealthQ [Health-Q] – says many people don’t know their health coverage comes with wellness benefits.

The best way to figure out what your plan offers is to call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask.

OPTIONAL TAG: We’ll have more on this little-known insurance benefit later in the hour, as part of a new series called HealthQ.

 

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HOST INTRO: If you’re considering signing up for a new gym membership this year, it’s worth looking into whether your health insurance might help with some – or all –  of the cost. We bring you a new series called “HealthQ” [Health-Q] through the Appalachian Midsouth Newsroom. Reporters Cara [CARE-uh] Anthony and Blake Farmer are approachable guides to an unapproachable health system. (:20)

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See transcript below.

HOST OUTRO: That’s Blake Farmer and Cara [CARE-uh] Anthony of HealthQ [Health-Q] — from WPLN and KFF Health News. This series comes to you through the Appalachian Midsouth Newsroom. (:10)

PARTNER STATIONS INTRO/OUTRO:

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HOST INTRO: If you’re considering signing up for a new gym membership this year, it’s worth looking into whether your health insurance might help with some – or all –  of the cost. We bring you a new series called “HealthQ” [Health-Q]. Reporters Cara [CARE-uh] Anthony and Blake Farmer are approachable guides to an unapproachable health system. (:20)

HealthQ_GYMBEN_Feature.wav         … we’ll hold you to it.” 2:51

See transcript below.

HOST OUTRO: That’s Cara [CARE-uh] Anthony and Blake Farmer of HealthQ [Health-Q]  — from WPLN and KFF Health News. (:08)

TRANSCRIPT: 

CARA: Blake, last January, I did the thing  people always do: I made a resolution to workout more.

BLAKE: Oh listen, I get it. ‘New Year, New You,’ 

CARA: So I joined this hot yoga studio….but, I’ll be real, I only went three times all year.

BLAKE: Three times?! Ok. 

CARA: Yes, I know it’s shameful. But you know what helped me feel a little bit better? The place that I work has a wellness benefit that helped with the cost of that membership. 

BLAKE: Well, that’s not bad. Since we’re sharing, I will admit, I don’t even know if I have a wellness benefit like that.

CARA: You should check. I spoke with our colleague Phil Galewtiz [Gale-wits] – who reports on insurance here at KFF Health News. 

He says most insurance providers want to get people to exercise more. We’re talking private insurers as well as Medicare for older adults, and Medicaid for people with lower incomes.

PHIL Clip:  It’s relatively cheap for insurers and employers to offer I mean, spending a few hundred dollars for a fitness membership versus, you know, if you can avoid one visit to the emergency room, that’s avoiding several thousand dollars in costs.

CARA: Some plans also offer wellness incentives that pay for health coaching or wearable fitness trackers. But it’s not clear that people are taking advantage of these benefits. Phil says that’s probably because most people don’t know they have them. 

BLAKE: Phil, I feel attacked. But to be fair, I know other health reporters who also don’t read their own insurance benefits package closely.

CARA: Yeah, but you can also call the number on the back of the insurance card and ask.

BLAKE: I do forget about the easy button sometimes. Let’s talk about the gym membership benefit, what’s in the fine print?

CARA: The most important thing to know is that every plan is different. You might be able to go for free, or just get a discount, usually around ten to thirty percent. 

BLAKE: So I can’t count on free. I guess a discount’s better than nothing.  

CARA: Don’t knock a discount.  It can make a difference. We talked to Joshua Villegas [Ve-YAY-gus] from San Antonio, Texas. He uses a discount program through his insurance that offers a flat monthly rate for partner gyms. He uses it for two gyms.

JOSHUA CLIP: “ I am paying $51 a month for both memberships, and I would say I’m saving, uh, a little over $30 a month.”

CARA: But you have to check the details. There’s an LA Fitness close to his house that doesn’t participate, so he drives about 15 minutes more to one that does. 

BLAKE: Well, he sounds like a motivated dude. So does any of this inspire you for your resolution this year?

CARA: Definitely, Blake. You know I want to try again. Same resolution, but this time I’m determined. And I know that’s the thing that people always say, but it’s on the record now

BLAKE: Well alright, we’ll hold you to it.

 

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HED: HealthQ: Wait, my health plan might pay for a gym membership?

BYLINE: Blake Farmer, Cara Anthony & Emily Siner

Almost 80% of New Year’s resolutions are related to health, exercise or diet, according to the Pew Research Center — which explains why gyms are packed this time of year. 

Before you turn over your credit card and agree to auto-pay each month, you might want to review your health insurance benefits. Your plan may cover part of the cost.

Many health plans, including some Medicare or Medicaid plans, offer free or discounted gym memberships. Phil Galewitz, who reports on insurance at KFF Health News, says many people don’t take advantage of those perks.

Here are three things to know about this little-known health benefit.

• Insurers have an incentive to incentivize you to go to the gym

Your health insurance wants you to be healthy. If routine exercise helps patients avoid seeking out expensive medical care, spending a few hundred dollars for a fitness membership can pay off for insurers in the long run.  

“ It’s relatively cheap for insurers and employers to offer,” Galewitz says. 

• You’ll need to read the fine print to find a deal that works for you.

Every plan is different. Some Medicare Advantage plans, for example, offer free access to certain gyms and exercise classes, through a program called SilverSneakers. Other plans only offer a discount. 

Joshua Villegas from San Antonio, Texas, pays $51 a month to use two gyms, through a widely used company called Active & Fit Direct. “ I would say I’m saving a little over $30 a month,” he says. The LA Fitness closest to his house doesn’t participate in the program, he says, so he drives farther away to one that does.

• It’s not only about gym memberships.

Other incentives that are sometimes covered by insurance include wellness apps, health coaching, or discounted wearable fitness trackers. (Of course, do your research first — the discount touted by the insurance company might be less than what you can find online.) 

The best way to find out what your plan offers? Just call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask.

People and policy

Some health plans offer monetary rewards to participants when they reach health goals or consistently go to the gym. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, health plans had more hoops to jump through to reward healthy behaviors directly. Now, a 2025 KFF survey finds that 38% of large employers offer health plans with incentives for completing or participating in a wellness program. 

HealthQ is a health series from reporters Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, approachable guides to an unapproachable health system. It’s a collaboration between Nashville Public Radio and KFF Health News. Katherine Ruppelt and Emily Siner contributed to this reporting.

 

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Caption: Insurance companies have an incentive to get you on the elliptical (or similar). Credit: Blake Farmer / WPLN News