Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

[jphorenci]

I am absolutely appalled at the just announced price increases for United Healthcare coverage. The increase in RX (over 90%) announced during the last open enrollment was enough force me to make a change and now the supplemental health coverage increase (22%) is astounding. As their primary selling agent, you should anticipate my changing to another, more affordable carrier at my first opportunity and hopefully a boatload of others doing the same. Shameful, unjustified, heartless, and ridiculous. Shame on both you and United Healthcare.  

[LauraA422032]

According to CMS and the benefits company my old employer uses, as well as the UHC plan document, I cannot change plans after the open enrollment period.  There are a few exceptions, and being misled is one of them. My issue is more with how it was done: 8% increase during enrollment, then again a few months later. Had I known the second increase (15%) was coming, it would have better informed my decision on which policy to buy,

[GailL1]

@LauraA422032  wrote

According to CMS and the benefits company my old employer uses, as well as the UHC plan document . . . . 

++++++++++++++++++++++++

For clarity ~

By the above comment do you mean you have Retiree Coverage and that is where you are getting your UHC Medigap plan?

So it isn't an AARP-UHC branded policy?  What does your old employer have to do with it?   

If so, some other Medicare info may be pertinent.

Medicare.gov - Retiree insurance & Medicare

If this is a Retiree type Medigap policy - it is different.  

[LauraA422032]

No, I don't have retiree coverage. My old employer offers a service (a broker?) that helps with medicare coverage. There isn't a difference in cost but I do benefit from an HRA provided by my old employer. I have an AARP branded UHC plan.

[JamesH549418]

Wow! Add me to the list.

I just received my AARP UHC Plan N rate increase notice today. 11.7% increase mid year. My AARP UHC Rx more than doubled last fall after the aforementioned previous increase for Plan N. I too have a broker, ViaBenefits through the employer I retired from.

It seems like in the overall effort to reduce health care and prescription costs for some results in the majority paying more through premium increases.

It will be time to call the broker next open enrollment and shop around.

[AARPConsumerCare]

@JamesH549418, we are also concerned by price increases that in some cases would double the cost of people’s monthly premiums AARP knows that any increases, let alone ones on this scale, are difficult to manage – especially for people on fixed incomes. A major driver of these increases is the underlying  prices of prescription drugs charged by pharmaceutical companies. It is why AARP has fought so hard to bring down those prices, including by allowing Medicare to negotiate for better prices on behalf of consumers. Thanks to the law that passed last year, Medicare now has that ability with the first negotiated prices taking effect in 2026.

If you are interested in learning more about other available plans during open enrollment, please contact Medicare directly at: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). You can also use the comparison tool on the Medicare website: medicare.gov/plan-compare/ - Diana G.

[SummerIsTooHOT]

(3/18/24) @LauraA422032 , good for you!!! If enough people complain, MAYBE AARP will care.  🙄  Good Luck.  👵

---

[*** LAURA @LauraA422032 wrote:

I just received notice from UHC that my Medigap plan premium is increasing 4/1/2024. When I signed up for the plan during open enrollment, the premium was slightly higher than last years. How can they increase the premium 4 months later, when open enrollment has ended and I cannot change plans until next year? This is bait and switch. I informed AARP and I'm contacting the Govt next. ***]

---

[LauraA422032]

AARP called me this morning and is working it.

[maziemoo]

What was the result of aarp working on it?

[SummerIsTooHOT]

(3/19/24) That is AWESOME @LauraA422032 !!!  👵

---

[*** LAURA @LauraA422032 wrote:

AARP called me this morning and is working it. ***]

---

[GailL1]

@SummerIsTooHOT wrote

. . . . . If enough people complain, MAYBE AARP will care . . . 

+++++++++++++++++++++++

They may “care” but there is little they can do - they ONLY get royalty payments from UHC for use of their name in the promotion of their product - AARP has nothing to do with the benefits or premiums of the insurance company.

[maeella9]

Hi Gaill.1.

I totally agree with you.  They say the squeaky wheel gets the oil.  Well, there are enough squeaky wheels like myself that are AARP members and we should very well voice our dissatisfaction with them and their attaching their name to United Healthcare's supplemental plan with this unaffordable increase!  They could at least give us some options and/or names of other insurers that are cheaper and help us out rather than tell us "we will look into it!"  Baloney!

[GailL1]

@maeella9 

In my other reply to you this am, I gave the Medicare.gov website page where you can find other MediGap insurers in your area - 

Now what ways can you or others voice your dissatisfaction with AARP in this matter - just a possible one that is at your finger tips.

-  Perhaps Cancel your membership after you have secured your choice of a AARP/UHC Medigap plan of your choice - you only have to be a member of AARP to secure the plan; not to keep it going - so after that sign on,  they cannot cancel your plan for not being a member.

How long do you think AARP would stick with UHC for their branded Medigap if memberships began to be cancelled?

Why is being a member even a pre-requisite to purchasing an AARP/UHC Medigap plan?  Membership isn’t required to purchase an AARP/UHC Medicare Advantage plan.  

If you really want to fix stuff like this for everybody, advocate for Medicare to have a maximum annual out of pocket.  That would pretty much wipe out the need for any MediGAP coverage.  

Only a small number of Medicare beneficiaries have a MediGAP plan - WHY, the reason is simple - they don’t need it because they have something else to take its place.

• Almost 50% of Medicare beneficiaries use a MA plan and not Original Medicare
• Then of the remaining

- many are dual eligible - meaning they share Medicare (primary) and MediCAID (secondary)

- others have some other type of secondary payer - retiree, military or some other government secondary coverage - like CHAMPVA.

.

[AARPConsumerCare]

Hi Nicole! We're sorry to hear you’re having trouble with one of our benefit providers. We are listening and would like the chance to help as soon as possible. Please visit https://help.aarp.org/s/article/contact-aarp to chat, text, or speak with a representative who can get you in touch with our Member Relations team. -Sue J

[SummerIsTooHOT]

➡️*** 3/18/24 WRONG NAME ***⬅️

Hey Sue J @AARPConsumerCare , LAURA @LauraA422032 is the person who posted a complaint TODAY. Thanks, Nicole

---

[*** SUE @AARPConsumerCare wrote:

Hi  ➡️*** Nicole! ***⬅️  We're sorry to hear you’re having trouble with one of our benefit providers. We are listening and would like the chance to help as soon as possible. Please visit https://help.aarp.org/s/article/contact-aarp to chat, text, or speak with a representative who can get you in touch with our Member Relations team. -Sue J ***]

---

[AARPConsumerCare]

Hi @jphorenci, we are also concerned by price increases that in some cases would double the cost of people’s monthly premiums. AARP knows that any increases, let alone ones on this scale, are difficult to manage – especially for people on fixed incomes. A major driver of these increases is the underlying prices of prescription drugs charged by pharmaceutical companies. It is why AARP has fought so hard to bring down those prices, including by allowing Medicare to negotiate for better prices on behalf of consumers. Thanks to the law that passed last year, Medicare now has that ability with the first negotiated prices taking effect in 2026.

The current Part D premium increases are not unique to the AARP-branded Medicare Rx Part D plans from UnitedHealthcare and are happening across the industry. UnitedHealthcare has informed us that their goal is to provide valuable, sustainable, and affordable plans for Medicare members. According to United, although premiums for most Medicare Part D plans change each year, it has worked hard to minimize those increases over the past few years. If you are interested in learning more about other available plans during open enrollment, please contact Medicare directly at: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or visit: medicare.gov/plan-compare/ to use the comparison tool. - Diana G.

[EvanW205162]

I noticed the increase when I added up the newly split premiums - and I searched to see anything about a rate increase - and found this thread.

I don't recall getting any type of notification of a rate increase.  I would think that a notification should have been sent out.  Not happy.