Co-author: TJ Ryan
Did you know some health insurance policies will offer you a discount or rebate on your gym membership, sometimes worth up to several hundreds of dollars a year?
Health insurance with gym membership
If you want to access a discount, rebate or claim part of the cost of your gym membership, yoga, pilates or other exercise classes through your health insurer, you will typically need a high-level extras policy that offers health-related benefits.
As a starting point, it could be worth asking your current health insurer what they offer in the way of “health management benefits”, “healthy lifestyle benefits”, or “wellness benefits” to understand the services (if any) that might be of interest to you. You might be surprised at what’s available within your current policy or an extras policy with the same provider.
We’d also recommend finding out what is required by your provider to claim the money back – for example, some providers require a doctor’s referral, a plan devised by a personal trainer or a receipt from the gym. Exclusions can also apply – for example, some insurers won’t cover the cost of personal trainers, while others will only cover sessions with trainers approved by them that hold a recognised certification in group fitness. There will also usually be an annual limit to how much you can claim, so check your PDS for details.
We’ve put together the following information on what gym benefits some health insurance providers are currently offering when it comes to gym memberships. This list is based on the insurers we research and rate in our Health Insurance Star Ratings and is not exhaustive but will give you a good starting point. You should also check the relevant PDS for details before making a decision.
With AHM’s Lifestyle, Family and Super extras policies you should receive some cover for a wide range of health improvement benefits including with a personal trainer, yoga, pilates and gym exercise classes.
Bupa’s Gold Extras policy provides a level of cover for some gym memberships, swimming programs for children, pilates, and yoga under its Living Well program. It is important to note this does not cover 24-hour gyms, gym membership for general fitness, casual gym sessions or boot camp, sports clothing or shoes, or personal trainers.
Medibank members should receive a 25% discount off the cost of each visit to selected gyms as part of their GymBetter program, including Fernwood, Goodlife and YMCA Australia-wide.
Provider |
Policies |
Benefits covered |
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| CBHS | All extras | Health Management Services benefit includes partial cover for gym membership when member is referred by their doctor as part of a chronic disease management plan. See CBHS Health Fund for details. | |||
| HBF | All policies | Free group fitness sessions, a free mobile personal health app, fully covered fitness checks, 10-15% discounts at partnering gyms and more. Only in WA. See HBF for more information. | |||
| HCF | All Policies
Silver Plus Extras / Gold Extras / Platinum Extras |
Members receive a 10% discount on new 3 or 12-month Platinum or Passport gym memberships with Fitness First. Members can also access a virtual health coach via My Health Guardian, an online management program for a wellbeing plan.
HCF’s health management programs offer gym membership benefits and exercise classes for specific health conditions when the member is referred by their doctor. 6-month waiting period applies. See HCF for details. |
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| HIF | All extras policies except vital | The Healthy Lifestyle Cover includes benefits for gym membership, yoga, pilates, exercise physiology and weight loss programs. See HIF for details. | |||
| Health Partners | National, silver & gold extras | The Health Management benefits includes up to 100% cover for gym and fitness programs, weight management and an online Health Risk Assessment. See Health Partners for details. | |||
| Health.com.au | Extras | Offers partial cover for the cost of selected weight management programs, gym memberships, pilates, yoga, first aid courses and more. | |||
| NIB | Most policies – see NIB | The Healthier Lifestyle offers benefits for gym membership, approved weight management programs, personal training sessions, yoga, pilates and dietary advice. Top Extras also includes a benefit for exercise physiology. See NIB for details. | |||
| Peoplecare | Extras cover | The Health Management benefit includes some cover for gym membership if gym equipment is needed to treat a condition diagnosed by the member’s doctor. Some benefits and discounts also apply for pilates, pool entry fees, yoga, personal training, group training, swimming lessons, aqua aerobics, treadmills, cross trainers, exercise bikes, weight control programs, and stress management programs. Member must be referred by their doctor. 6-month waiting period applies. See Peoplecare for details. | |||
| Phoenix Health Fund | Mid Extras / Top Extras | The Healthy Lifestyle Program benefits include some cover for gym membership, approved classes for asthma management, diabetes management and weight management. See Phoenix Health Fund for details. | |||
| Queensland Country Health Fund Ltd | All extras policies | The Healthy Living benefit includes some cover for gym membership, personal trainer programs and weight management programs. The member must be a patient with an approved health management or chronic disease management program. See Queensland Country Health Fund for details. | |||
| Westfund Health | Gold & Platinum extras | The Prevention & Health Management benefit includes some cover for gym classes, gym membership, vitamins, weight loss programs, pilates classes/membership and swimming lessons for children. See Westfund for details. | |||
| Source: www.canstar.com.au
Data current as at February 12, 2018 Canstar provides an information service. It is not a health insurance provider, and in giving you information about insurance products Canstar is not making any suggestion or recommendation to you about a particular insurance product. If you choose to apply for an insurance product, you will deal with the insurance provider and not with Canstar. Read the Canstar Financial Services Guide (FSCG) for more information. |
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How to find the right health management benefit for you
Don’t have a favourite gym yet? Choose a gym that Aussies love – compare customer satisfaction in gyms with Canstar Blue. Consider our health insurance for runners article and the weight management benefits available for those dealing with osteoarthritis. We also have articles detailing health insurance policies that cover massages, chiropractic works, dentistry and more.
Remember, discounted gym membership is not the only consideration when looking for health insurance and the policy best suited to you may not necessarily have a benefit for the gym. While you may be getting a good discount, having a high-level extras policy means you’ll also be paying for a variety of inclusions – some of which you might not need, so make sure you’ve given some thought as to which policy you’ll choose.
Compare your options to see which policy is right for you.
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