Medicare & Insurance

  I found this article to be very interesting from the Medicare Advantage viewpoint to the Medicare Supplemental (Medigap) viewpoint.  NCHealth News - 12/06/2024 - Medicare Advantage is popular with NC seniors, but the program has come under increased scrutiny.    Maybe we just need to get back to the basics of Medicare -  only cover what is deemed to be covered by Medicare (CMS) [medicslly necessary].  No more gym memberships of whatever type - premium or sub-premium or ground roots.  No more dental, vision or hearing coverage.  Got a problem with this coverage - change the law.  No more OTC benefits or Part B premium rebates, unless one is approved for a Medicare Savings Program.no more Medigap coverage unless it comes with an adequate high deductible - perhaps like the High Deductible plans - < $ 2800 or so.  No more 1st dollar coverage or even after the Part B deductible.  Coverage is the same, deductible would be

Yahoo Finance News 12/04/2024 - CMS recalculates Medicare Advantage stars for UnitedHealth, Centene  from the link:  UnitedHealth and Centene have received a valuable boost in their Medicare Advantage star ratings for 2025 after squaring up against federal regulators in court.The CMS increased stars for 12 UnitedHealth contracts and seven Centene contracts in revised ratingsreleased Monday. UnitedHealth had three more contracts reach the all-important four star threshold, giving them access to lucrative bonuses for the first time, while two contracts were upgraded to the highest possible rating of five stars, garnering the maximum rebate from the federal government. Many health insurers cried foul when the CMS released star ratings for 2025 in October. Regulators tightened standards for reaching the highest scores, resulting in a small dip in stars across the board. That translates to serious financial repercussions for some insurers, given the stars have a direct i

The original thread has become unwieldy, and has outdated information in it, so I'm starting a new thread. From the Renew Active location finder website: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Orangetheory Fitness, The Exercise Coach and Xponential Fitness brands including Club Pilates, CycleBar, StretchLab, Rumble, Pure Barre and YogaSix will no longer be in the Renew Active fitness network. This applies to both Advantage members and people who have a Medicare supplement.  So nobody with Renew Active will have access to these gyms. Advantage members have received letters from UHC stating that they will no longer have access to gyms identified as "premium" in Renew Active's network.  Supplement holders have received no such notification concerning "premium" gyms.  UHC sent letters to supplement holders listing gyms they visited in the past that would no longer be available, and in my case the only gyms listed were among the ones listed as no longer being in the

In response to all of the comments about UHC, the fact remains that there has been a continuous pattern of claim denials and increasing profits for this company. Here are the facts. UHC denies more claims than any other health insurerUHC is a for profit entity and raises their premiums higher because of both health care costs and to increase their profits.UHC also very aware that patients will sometimes need to jump through hoops to challenge a claim denial through legal means which means time and money. It can result an a reversed decision on the claim, but it can be a long, painful process.UHC is using AI algorithms in determining a claim eligibilityAARP promotes UHC and receives royalties from them. You can research everything I stated, along with UHC and their overall profit margin, and come up with a fair and educated understanding of the problem. Here are possible and ways to address the problem. Write or call your Congressman or Congresswoman. I contact

I'm 65 and still working, with an employer sponsored health plan. It's a high-deductible plan with HSA so I haven't enrolled in Medicare Part A in order to be able to have the HSA. It's a pretty good but not great EPO plan. Thee employer offers a $6K-per-year opt-out incentive payment.I could get much better insurance if I were enrolled in Original Medicare with Medigap and opted out of the employer insurance, and even though that would cost considerably more than the insurance from my employer plan, the $6K opt-out incentive would cover most of the difference.Questions:1. Is this allowed?2. If it is allowed, do I have to do it during a specific enrollment period or would this considered a special enrollment situation?

Found out today that Lifetime Fitness has dropped AARP UHC Medicare's Advantage Plans from their clubs for 2025. They say they are now all “Premium” clubs and will not recognize Renew Active 

On the medicare.gov website, I see star ratings for insurance plans but I see no opportunity to review a plan. Among other things, Wellcare Ins. Co. apparently cancelled my OTCH account with CVS thereby robbing me of my debit card balance for over the counter drug store products.

 I am 61 years old.  I retired in 2023 and receive a pension.  As part of that pension I am allowed to, and do, pay for the same health insurance that I was getting as an employee.  The difference is I must pay post tax instead of pretax.  Anyway, I have an HSA with substantial funds in it from when I was younger and had a low cost high deductible plan.  My current plan is not low cost high deductible. My question is, since I pay these premiums post tax, am I allowed to reimburse myself from my HSA?

This from Fast Company...If AARP wants to make a dent in the cost of prescription drugs, here where it can start: Pharmaceutical Benefits Managers Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers    

I've been following the complaints about the above-average denials for aftercare, especially the elderly (the Senate issued a scathing report on this). I'm considering AARP Gap Insurance, but now I don't know.

Beware of AARP United Healthcare. We were given a favorable quote over the phone so we signed up. When the actual first bill showed up, the premium had increased significantly. We were simply lied to and they swept it under the rug as a “rate increase” just 9 days after our coverage began. Had we known, we would have had an opportunity to shop around. Poor business practices.

This thread has been removed for violating community guidelines.

No where can I find where this is specifically addressed so hopefully I can at least get some thoughts here.I subscribe to a Medicare Supplement plan not a Medicare Advantage plan.I am entering my annual renewal phase and would consider changing to United Healthcare (but sticking with a supplement plan) specifically because United Healthcare touts additional benefits on their plan website that interest me. However, they do not specifically clarify under which plans these additional benefits are available.  Even my insurance agent has been unable to get a direct clarification.So, here goes: Does United Healthcare include Renew Active benefits with Medicare Supplement plans or only with Medicare Advantage Plans.  

I live in California and am covered by Medi-Cal. Is there anyone that has experienced any coverage problems?

I was told by Club Pilates, StretchLab and The Exercise Coach this morning that AARP/UHC has removed them as a gym for Renew Active for 2025.  As one who has benefited incredibly from these three providers, I am unbelievably disappointed in this decision. My health has gotten better and now they’re taking that away. I feel like it has been a bait and switch.  It blows my mind that they are taking away a benefit that is saving UHC money, in medication,  doctors office visits and hospitalizations.  Where is AARP to protect us and our health and interests?  And please don’t try to tell me that community gyms offer the same services as those three providers listed above. It is simply not the case. All of the providers have said that the information from UHC has been sparse. I spent a hour yesterday on hold just to talk to a representative. Who had no idea what I was talking about. Then I spent more time on a chat and that representative. Also had no idea what I was

Hey all.I had a question. I'm on an old AARP Medicare Supplement Plan (C) through UHC that I signed up for in 2007. I'm thinking about changing to the current Plan G - also under UHC. The biggest difference seems to be that I will owe the Medicare Plan B deductible AND I will lose my wellness benefits. Does UHC in 2024 require underwriting when changing plans? I did have breast cancer in 2021 and I have kidney disease. I'm skittish about changing because I want to LOWER my premium, not raise or or lose the insurance all together.Any advice? Thanks

Mom (89) has had this plan for awhile - has gone through a broken hip/rehab and a couple of other falls with her coverage. She has not paid a premium as of yet. Dad (93), on the other hand, has kept original Medicare plus a Plan G supplement through Mutual of Omaha. They both see the same PCP. As his main financial 'advisor' I am ashamed to admit that I was unaware of this disparity between their coverages. But I am now fully aware because they are facing a choice: Reduce their budget or move to a different assisted living facility. His projected monthly premium for his Medicare + supplement is now $692. Moving him to the same plan as Mom will save them $8,304/year and prevent them from having to move.Since we are in the Open Enrollment period for a few days, are there any other plans I should compare to the AARP/UHC plan?

  As anyone with an AARP/UHC Medicare Supplemental plan ("Supplement Plan") originally purchased in one state then moved to another state and been able to either keep their original plan or at least not have to pay more than they would if had started in their new state?   I am moving from one state to another and have had a Supplement Plan for over 2 years.  After being told repeatedly by UHC Customer Service that I would since I had an existing Supplement Plan in a higher cost state and was moving to a lower cost state I could seamlessly move from one to the other and then get the lower premium plan.  That has turned out to be entirely wrong.  I have had to call Customer Service over 12 times to finally get to a knowledgable person.  I have been extremely disappointed with Customer Service.  Anyone else experience something like this?  Thank you 

I have been with united healthcare for many many years..never had a problem until now.  I am moving to a different state in 2025 so to be proactive, I called to let them know.  was told my new rate would be 133 from the 120 i am paying now.  I get a bill saying that as of oct my new rate is 185.  so I now owe 246.50.  I called and was told because as of oct I had moved.  no no no. as of jan 1 2025 is when I move.  and why was my new rate 185 when is was told 133.  opps. someone gave me wrong info and also made a mistake on my move.  when I called and had to talk to 4 different departments was finally told they could not correct the error and that they would put in a request that would take approximately 45 days.  what!! and even then they might not approve it.  it was their error and they might not give me my money back?? and the rate increase..well because I have been with them so long, I lose my loyaltydiscount.  the longer

When I signed up for AARP UHC Plan G a few years ago, they didn’t have an option for declining the wellness benefits. It seem like they do now and it can save some money. I have been told you need to go through underwriting for this. Given that it is the same Plan G, why can’t you just decline the extra benefits (which I don’t use)?

 I hope everybody knows what a Medigap plan is. (Medicare Supplemental Plan) - It is NOT Medical insurance, it is financial protection insurance.  A Medigap plan makes NO health decisions, it’s ONLY function is to cover some or most all of your out of pocket cost on Traditional Medicare depending upon the Medigap plan that a beneficiary has chosen.   Why is a Medigap plan advisable when a beneficiary has chosen Traditional Medicare as to the way they want to get their benefits.  Simply because Traditional Medicare has NO limit as to a beneficiary’s out of pocket cost.  So unless one has a Medigap plan or some other coverage that acts as a supplement to Traditional Medicare, the beneficiary could be on the hook for a good amount of out of pocket cost. Other plans for which a beneficiary is eligible could also act in covering some or all of these Traditional Medicare out of pocket cost.  Like Medicaid, some retiree coverage, CHAMPVA for dependents

 My wife and I signed up for AARP United Health Care Medicare Supplement plan G in 2020. During the first year our premiums were from January thru December. However, starting from 2021 our premiums increase twice a year from January thru May and June thru December. We live in Michigan and my month of the birth is June. My question is, do the premiums increase twice a year. Folks with the same plan thru AARP UHC tell me that they are billed once a year. So, I am thinking is this a mistake on UHC's part. I have tried to call them several times to no avail. I am hoping if someone on this forum may be able to help. TIA. .  

I have been enrolled in an AARP-UHC Supplemental Plan in NJ for almost a year now. I have never used and don't anticipate using any of the AARP membership benefits. What happens if I don't renew my AARP membership - will it affect my AARP-UHC Supplement Plan?

I currently have a Medicare part B supplemental plan and a Part D drug plan. Can I drop the Plan D for 2025 and then re-enroll for a plan D for 2026? 

My AARP/United Health Care Plan F Premium went up by a whopping 10%.This plan is listed as a "Community Rated" plan, which I understand to mean that the premium's rate is the same  regardles of age attained.  The plan has provided good coverage, with not problems with any claim, but I am uncertain of how well informed the customer service agents are.  One agent who was nice enough, told me that the increase had come about because I am a year older.  This contradicts the information about this plan that appears on a Medicare page listing Companies offering Medigap plans, where AARP/United Health Care appears listed.  (Medicare.gov, navigate from Home to View All Medigap Policies-Medigap Policy Details-Companies Offering Medigap Policy). Then she transferred me to a different department.    The second agent, not as nice, told me that the change in rate happened becasue my state no longer received a "multiple member" discount.  Then s