I’m asking this on behalf of a friend who is struggling to figure this out. She retired from her long-term job a few years ago and has a Medicare Advantage plan. She’s 64, and her husband (still working full-time) is 62. Her husband doesn’t have health coverage through his job, so he’s been on her plan.
Her MA plan offers a free gym membership, but when she tried to sign up, the gym told her the membership is only for people with Part C (Medicare Advantage), and they said she doesn’t have Part C. When she called HR at her former employer, they said her Part C won’t start until her husband retires from his job.
So, she’s confused—why would her eligibility for Part C be tied to her husband’s retirement status? She’s always been the one with the medical coverage, so it doesn’t make sense why her Part C depends on him.
Group plans can have different rules. This is something she should discuss with the benefits administrator who manages her plan, as they’ll know how it works.
If she’s under 65, she wouldn’t typically be eligible for Medicare unless she qualifies through disability (SSDI). The info from the gym might be a mix-up, but the situation sounds unclear.
Part C is the same thing as Medicare Advantage, so this sounds confusing. If she has a Medicare Advantage plan, she should check with her plan about the gym membership, as it might only be valid at certain locations or for specific programs.
You can’t join a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) without first having Parts A and B, and you usually only get Parts A and B if you’re 65+ or on SSDI. Maybe she doesn’t actually have a Medicare Advantage plan like she thinks.