Does insurance cover personal training?
Usually not directly. Original Medicare and most health insurance don’t pay for personal training, and Medicare Advantage fitness benefits usually cover gyms and classes rather than a trainer. But there are other ways to get help: long-term care insurance can cover training as part of care at home, an HSA or FSA may pay for it when your doctor recommends it to treat a diagnosed condition, and Medicare covers physical therapy while you need it.
This page is general information, not insurance or tax advice. Your coverage depends on your plan.
Coverage at a glance
| Coverage | Pays for personal training? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Original Medicare (Parts A and B) | No | Covers physical therapy while it’s medically necessary, but not fitness training or non-medical long-term care. |
| Medicare Advantage (Part C) | Rarely | Many plans add a fitness benefit, usually gym access and group classes rather than a personal trainer. |
| Medicare Supplement (Medigap) | Rarely | Helps with your share of Original Medicare costs. Some insurers include a gym or fitness program as an extra. |
| Long-term care insurance | Sometimes | Can cover training as part of care at home once you meet your policy’s benefit trigger. |
| HSA or FSA | Sometimes | Can pay for training your doctor recommends to treat a diagnosed condition, usually with a letter. |
| VA benefits, TRICARE and Health First Colorado (Medicaid) | Not usually | These can help pay for in-home care through agencies, and training can work alongside that care. |
Does Original Medicare pay for a personal trainer?
No. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) doesn’t cover personal training, gym memberships or fitness programs. It doesn’t pay for non-medical long-term care either.1
What Medicare does cover is physical therapy. Part B helps pay for medically necessary outpatient therapy when your doctor certifies you need it. After the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and there’s no yearly limit on medically necessary therapy.2
Therapy usually ends once you’ve met the goals in your plan of care, which is often before you feel ready for everyday life. That’s where a trainer can help, paid privately. Our guide to personal trainers and physical therapists explains when you need each one, and post-rehab training picks up where therapy leaves off.
What about Medicare Advantage and Medigap fitness benefits?
Medicare Advantage plans can cover extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t.1 Many include a fitness benefit, such as SilverSneakers, that gives you a gym membership and group classes at participating locations. Some Medigap insurers include a similar program with their policies.
These programs are a great way to stay active, but they don’t usually include one-on-one personal training, and they don’t bring a trainer to your home. Benefits change from year to year, so check your plan’s Evidence of Coverage or call the member services number on your card.
Can long-term care insurance help pay for training?
It can. Long-term care insurance pays for care when you need ongoing help, and many policies cover care at home. To start receiving benefits, you have to meet two conditions:3
- The benefit trigger. Most policies pay when you need help with two or more of six activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing or getting in and out of a chair, or when you have a cognitive impairment. A nurse or social worker from the insurance company usually does the assessment and approves a plan of care.
- The elimination period. Like a deductible measured in time, it’s the 30, 60 or 90 days (depending on your policy) you pay for care yourself before benefits begin.
Once benefits start, most policies pay for care up to a daily limit. Through our partnership with Amada Senior Care, which files and manages long-term care insurance claims for families at no charge, TogetherWON training can be part of the care some policies cover. Amada caregivers can also train with you between trainer visits through our home care partnership.
Whether your policy qualifies depends on its terms, so bring it to your free consultation and ask us.
Can you use an HSA or FSA for personal training?
Sometimes. The IRS rules turn on why you’re exercising. Amounts paid to improve your general health don’t count as a medical expense, and neither do gym or health club dues. But treatment for a specific disease a doctor has diagnosed, such as obesity, high blood pressure or heart disease, can count.4
So if your doctor recommends supervised exercise to treat a diagnosed condition, training may qualify. Here’s how to find out:
- Ask your doctor whether exercise is part of treating a condition you’ve been diagnosed with.
- Ask for a letter of medical necessity that names the condition, the recommended exercise and how long you’ll need it.
- Check with your HSA or FSA administrator before you start, since every plan is different.
- Keep your monthly invoices and the letter together for your records.
The same rule applies to the medical expense deduction on your taxes, which counts only the qualifying expenses above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, and only if you itemize.4 A tax professional can tell you whether it’s worth it for you.
What about VA benefits, TRICARE and Medicaid?
These programs don’t usually pay for personal training, but they can help pay for care at home, and training works well alongside it. Two of our home care partners can help:
- Amada Senior Care is an accredited VA provider that helps veterans fund their care.
- Total Care Connections works with Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program), VA Community Care, TRICARE, long-term care insurance and private pay.
If a caregiver from one of our partner agencies helps at home, they can learn your exercises and do them with you between trainer visits.
Questions to ask about your coverage
Have your card or policy handy when you call. These questions get you a clear answer faster.
Medicare Advantage or Medigap
- Does my plan include a fitness benefit, and what exactly does it cover?
- Does it cover one-on-one or in-home personal training, or only gym access and classes?
- Is there an allowance I can use toward fitness costs?
Long-term care insurance
- Does my policy pay for care at home, and does it have to come through a licensed home care agency?
- What is my benefit trigger, and how is it assessed?
- How long is my elimination period, and what is my daily or monthly benefit?
HSA or FSA
- Can I use my account for exercise my doctor recommends for a diagnosed condition?
- Do you need a letter of medical necessity, and what should it say?
- What receipts or invoices should I keep?
If insurance won’t pay, what does training cost?
In-person training in your home starts at $198 a month and online training at $43 a month. Every plan is month to month with no contract, caregivers join the app for free, and your first one-hour consultation is free.
Insurance questions
Does a Medicare Advantage fitness benefit cover a personal trainer?
Usually not for one-on-one training at home. Many Medicare Advantage plans include a fitness benefit, such as SilverSneakers, that gives you access to gyms and group classes. Those programs don’t typically include personal training sessions.
Plans differ from year to year, so check your plan’s Evidence of Coverage or call the member services number on your card.
Will long-term care insurance pay for exercise?
It can, if your policy covers care at home and you meet its benefit trigger. Most policies start paying when you need help with two or more activities of daily living, such as bathing or dressing, or have a cognitive impairment.
Through our partnership with Amada Senior Care, which files and manages long-term care insurance claims at no charge, TogetherWON training can be part of the care some policies cover. Whether yours qualifies depends on your policy, so ask us at your free consultation.
About our partnership with AmadaWhat is a letter of medical necessity?
It’s a short letter from your doctor saying you have a diagnosed condition and that a specific treatment, such as supervised exercise, is needed to treat it. It usually names the condition, the recommended treatment and how long you’ll need it.
HSA and FSA administrators often ask for one before they’ll reimburse fitness costs. Your plan administrator can tell you exactly what it needs to include.
Does Medicare pay for physical therapy?
Yes, when your doctor certifies that you need it. Medicare Part B helps pay for medically necessary outpatient physical therapy. After the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and there’s no yearly limit on medically necessary therapy.
Therapy usually ends once you’ve reached the goals in your plan of care. That’s often the point where personal training takes over.
Personal trainer or physical therapist?Sources
- Medicare.gov. What’s not covered? View source
- Medicare.gov. Physical therapy services. View source
- Administration for Community Living. Receiving long-term care insurance benefits. View source
- Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502: Medical and dental expenses. View source
Not sure what your coverage includes?
Bring your questions to your free consultation. We’ll go over your goals, check your strength and balance, and help you work out whether your long-term care policy or other benefits might help.