Health

  Hello;   CNA is again raising premium prices on my LTC policy;  this after major premium increases not that long ago,  If you have a CNA LTC policy and are similarly concerned, I'd appreciate if you would communicate with me about it. Thanks;C Steve Minor  

TATOOSShould I be concerned about whether tattoos are safe to be injected/drawn on/pierced/through my skin?'Is this a surgery"?Should tattoo "vendors" be certified?  By whom?How/where/who makes the "dye"/"ink"?What's in them/ink? Where are they made?

Hi everyone! As we kick off a new year, I’ve been thinking a lot about setting realistic fitness goals. For me, it’s all about staying consistent with chair yoga and finding new ways to stay active. What are your fitness goals for this year? Any tips or advice for staying motivated? Let’s share and encourage each other!

 In my state of New Hampshire 3 Medical insurance companies with Medicare contracts have  pulled up stakes, two are completely leaving the state and two are dropping part D plan.  None of the three including one that you seem to constantly recommend or at least highlight are no offering Medicare advantage plans in my area.  It's my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, that AARP receives some compensation for companies or products it recommends.  If I am correct and given not only what is happening now but the fact that the special rates for members through AARP evaporate rather quickly in a year or two, it feels like a conflict of interest for AARP to suggest in anyway that one private provider should be considered over another.  

AARP sent me a letter saying my Dentegra Propel plan was renewing 1 Dec 2025 into the 2nd year . That did not mean I was actually IN MY SECOND YEAR as of 1 Dec 2025, where prices decrease for dental services.  "Renewal" meant that ALL services renew on 1 Jan or the next year (1 Jan 2026), called "Calendar year". This point was NOT mentioned in the AARP letter, nor in the Cert. of Coverage that Dentegra provides the Enrollee. Due to these omissions, I did not earn the benefits promised in the 2nd year of membership in Dentegra. Requesting clarification of terms does no good thru Dentegra customer service. Dentegra sends you more LEGAL gobbelygook, via email. The NYT recommends negotiation with dentists b/c ALL dental plans are VERY costly and cover little. Dental Ins. plans are NOT like other types of medical insurance.Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/well/live/dental-insurance-problems.html?searchResultPosition=4

UHC Advantage Falsely Charging $22/mo for a $0 Premium UHC Advantage is Charging me $22/mo for a $0 premium.  I've called in to UHC and they say they will take care of this immediately and "its just a website glitch".  2 weeks later - bill still there on my account on the website. My previous plan, WA-0002 was $0 plan.  My new 2026 plan WA-0014 prem. is also $0.  I guess they're hoping people paythese fraudulent premium bills or are they simply incompetent and this is just a "glitch"? Anyone else having these billing issues?

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I had a bad experience with Delta Dental and believe it's important to share, because it regards their customer service. I originally had the HMO version of the AARP plan, but had a bad experience with one of the dentists. I was paying on a monthly basis and after the first year, I called Delta and explained to the customer service rep that I wanted to cancel my current plan and enroll in the PPO plan. I chose at that time to pay the premium for the entire year. Months later, I discovered that Delta Dental was still withdrawing the monthly payment from my checking account for the HMO plan! I called them immediately and spoke with a rep who advised me that my HMO plan had never been cancelled. She cancelled it immediately and also advised me to file a complaint and request a refund for the funds Delta had continued withdrawing. I called later in the day to ask another question and spoke to a different rep, who also advised me to write them a letter requesting a refund for the

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I am just curious why AARP does not have an affiliation to help early retirees (50 - 65) get group health insurance before we are able to get Medicare?  There seems to be plenty of information regarding Medicare and Medigap insurance, but nothing about group insurance in the pre-Medicare group. I am 58 (retired) and my wife has her own business, so no company sponsored plan is available to us.  We live in CA and go through the ACA.  Our premiums this year (2026) are currently set to go from $918/month to $2100/month.  With the large block of AARP members, I would think that some kind of group insurance could be set up. Thanks

Why is purchasing dental insurance directly from Delta Dental cheaper than buying it through AARP?  I thought AARP was supposed to help seniors not penalize them.

I called UHC to get a copy of the medical underwriting application as I want to change from G+ to G and they wouldn't give me one. They told me I could apply on line. What I discovered is you can't get a copy that way unless you fill it out (each page only has a few questions and it won't let you advance if you don't fill them out).Does anyone have a copy of the questions asked you can give me? I can't find them anywhere online (I find reference to some questions but not all of them). Also does anyone have a copy of the drug list that means automatic denial if you are taking one of them. Last year I found the list but can't find it again.  thanks.

AARP Advocacy,Push back on this -- hard. Call out your troops (us).

Social Security increase for 2026 2.8%Part B Premium deduction for 2026 increase 9% from $185 to $202Net Social Security "increase" is actually a decrease for most people

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Does anyone have any tips for reducing the likelihood surgery to repair hernias? I have a hiatal hernia and gallstones and probably an epigastric hernia as well. It certainly might come to surgery, but I don't know anyone who has had it. Any success stories? Any alternatives to surgery? I am not talking about occasional GERD or small hernias, but larger, more complicated gut issues.

Please read the link to the well written opinion piece in The Hill.  House Bill 3467 now in committee proposes automatic enrollment for new Medicare signups into the lowest cost Medicare Advantage plan which would be irrevocable for 3 years.  There would be an optout button, as long as people were able to find it. https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5617927-congress-medicare-reform-dangers/ Here is the link to the bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3467.  You can read the full text.  Even more telling is the remarks of the AZ rep (Repub Schweiekert) a bloated verbosity. Here are the pertinent provisions.  The text speaks for itself.  CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS TO STRONGLY OPPOSE THIS. (From the Bill)(a) Automatic enrollment.—“(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2028, the Secretary shall provide for the automatic

I finally had enough of the poor quality of customer service with UHC.  Both their supplemental plan and drug plan need a make over in properly handling customer questions.  They are extremely frustrating and their phone representatives are not trained well to handle the basic of questions.  For example, my wife and I had to go through multiple hoops to give me authorization to conduct business with UHC regarding my wife.  Each time I had to speak on her behalf, we had to go through a long winded process before they allowed this to happen.  They also do not seem to log their calls so that there's a record of previous issues and how those issues were resolved.  I just off the phone with them trying to get my January premium refunded since I had canceled and gone with another carrier -- for a lot less money and a more reasonable customer service experience.  Their Part D side handled the cancelation without issue but the supplement side was a horrible,

About five years ago, I bought Genworth long-term care insurance based on AARP's affiliation with Genworth. Concerns about the company's viability are now great: there is a class-action lawsuit against them (2016), it was sold to a Chinese company, and one can read about dismal responses to filed claims. I tried to contact someone in AARP to see if AARP had any recommendations about what policy holders can do (as of about a year ago, New York Life became AARP's long-term care insurance associate). I've not had a response to the question: does AARP have a recommedation regarding Genworth, and, if so, what is it? Does anyone have suggestions for what to do about Genworth? Does anyone have a suggestion as to whom to contact in AARP for some advice in this matter? Thank you.

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  I wonder if  AARP is aware of how many seniors are adversely affected by having to deal with hearing aid batteries that are impossible to open - or once opened, impossible to store - since mandated child-resistant packaging went into effect?  Two work-arounds I've found: (1) save your old packaging, cut batteries out of new packaging, and store in old packaging OR (2) buy a rechargeable hearing aid batteries and charger set.   #1 is a lot of work & not at all easy for someone w/arthritis or tremors, etc... and #2 is dicey for those who live in rural areas with frequent winter power outages.  As with pill bottles, we should have a choice between easy-open and child-proof. 

A deer ran into my car Feb 2025 and cause some damage to the left front quarter panel of my car.  I claimed the damanged on my Auto-Owners insurance and they paid to have it fixed.  I went to a chiropractor for a back adjustment for 8 months and Auto-Owners paid for that.  Auto-Owners called me and tried to get me to accept home health care which I refused.  I didn't need help bathing or getting dressed or cleaning my house.  I no longer see the Chiropractor. Now in October 2025, I receive paperwork requesting my signature so that Auto-Owners can obtain my medical records going back to January 2020 to the present and including all radiology reports including my mammograms, CT scans, Pet scan, Ultrasounds, any Nuclear Medicines,x-rays, MRIs, Interventional Rediology.  Plus they want all other health care providers records too and the paperwork says this information may no longer be protected by HIPAA. Is this a scam? Can they ask for this informat

CMS.gov 11/14/2025 - Newsroom - 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles  November 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2026 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs, and the 2026 Medicare Part D income-related monthly adjustment amounts. Tried to highlight it all but ead the link in case I forgot anything - PART A Medicare Part A inpatient hospital deductible that beneficiaries pay if admitted to the hospital will be $1,736 in 2026In 2026, beneficiaries must pay a coinsurance amount of $434 per day for the 61st through 90th day of a hospitalization in a benefit period and $868 per day for lifetime reserve days. For beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities, the daily coinsurance for days 21 through 100 of extended care services in a benefit period will be $217.00 in 2026. Enrollees age 65 and older who have fewer than 40 quarters of coverage, and cer

I don’t have a ton of time at the moment to discuss this - but I wanted to get this out so that beneficiaries will understand the importance of reviewing any Medicare plan they have now for the annual enrollment period for Medicare Advantage and Part D plan switches for 2026 - occurs later this Fall. ALL Medicare plan insurers, not just United Healthcare, are looking over their Medicare marketplace exposure - yes, even Medigap or Medicare Supplemental plans - This may produce a lot of changes for 2026 and from what I am reading about most Medicare plan insurers - MAPD, Part D and even Medicare Supplemental plans - there may be lots of changes - from dropping coverage to an increase in premiums to reconstructing their formularies.   There are also changes that are being made to various programs (as required by law) - The Trump administration is continuing the negotiation for certain drugs as the Biden IRA called for - the Part D out of pocket max will increase to $ 2100 -