Medicare & Insurance

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.

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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

Can I live in Canada and see Provider on US soil and use my Medicare benefits? What if I receive my mail in the US?

Great Resource if you want to understand it and why it is the way it is -Before any suggestions on how to change it - learning how it works now may open some incite into where and how it can be changed to improve or change it. Overall, the question is would you pay more for what you may want? KFF.org - 05/28/2024. - MEDICARE 101  From the linkFuture Outlook Copy link to Future Outlook Looking to the future, Medicare faces a number of challenges from the perspective of beneficiaries, health care providers and private plans, and the federal budget. These include:How best to address the fiscal challenges arising from an aging population and increasing health care costs through spending reductions and/or revenue increases.Whether and how to improve coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, including an out-of-pocket limit in traditional Medicare, enhanced financial support for lower-income beneficiaries, and additional benefits, such as dental and vision.

: Does this impact getting established with Physicians? Does this make it difficult to get established with a Physician?Does changing your Medicare Advantage Plan have an impact on getting established with a Physician?

I have been enrolled in the AARP UHC Medicare Advantage Plan (MAP) for the last 4 years and have been reasonably satisfied with it. But this year, I am considering a Supplemental plan instead (probably Plan G). As you all probably know, MAPs come bundled with dental, hearing, and vision insurance of some sort, but with a Supplement, you pretty much have to cobble this all together on your own. The AARP UHC Supplemental Plan G + Wellness, however, comes bundled with dental insurance, some vision coverage, and a gym membership. The premiums are a bit higher than the regular Plan G, but it might be worth it. I don't know yet.Anyway, the sticky point is the dental insurance. I have an excellent dentist and I want to get dental insurance that has my dentist in-network. At one point, I thought I read that UHC dental insurance was through Delta Dental. I may be wrong about that. My dentist's web site says they accept many different insurance companies including Delta Dental and

*** 10 Comments so far on the AARP WEBSITE. Stop by to read comments and add yours. *** FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Annual deductibles for Part A and B are also set to rise in the new year. By Rachel Nania, AARP. Published November 11, 2024. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B — the part of Medicare that covers doctor’s visits, routine cancer screenings, home health care and other outpatient services — will be $185 for 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Nov. 8. This is an increase of $10.30 from 2024 and is similar to the nearly $10 monthly premium hike seen in 2024, from 2023. Part B beneficiaries with annual individual incomes greater than $106,000 will pay more than the standard premium, though how much more depends on their income. CMS says income-related monthly adjustments affect roughly 8 percent of people with Part B insurance. https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2024/m

  Has anyone explored Medicare Supplement Insurance that offers an annual MEDICARE premium reimbursement?   I actually have Aetna Health Insurance that has a Health Fund and Dental Fund accounts.  The insurance deposits $1000.00 in Health Fund and $300.00 in Dental Fund annually. The Health Fund has a maximum cap of $5000,00 in the fund account so Aetna doesn't have to make that $1000,00 deposit.   You have to use Health Fund for expenses before the actual insurance pays.  I don't have much in annual medical expenses so I file a claim for MEDICARE Premium reimbursement every year.  I deposit that payment in my own savings account to offset the annual insurance deductible that is still required after I exhaust the Health Fund Account.   I do this so Aetna has to make the deposit annually.  You do need to monitor these Health Fund and Dental Fund account balances but it's worth it.. 

Today, 10/23/24, I used the Wellcare website to change my PCP.  First, they needlessly assaulted me with a requirement to change my password.  That's half an hour of my life that I will never get back. For your amusement, what's wrong with this picture?:There's talk in the News about how difficult it is to cancel subscriptions. After all, all a service provider has to do is move bits at the speed of light. The above time delay is going to cause me a lot of trouble because I have an appointment with my new PCP tomorrow.  What else should I expect from a company that provides a fake phone number? I wonder how many senile senior citizens actually call that number?  There are so many ways to abuse senior citizens with declining mental faculties and health care organizations take advantage of them! 

I am curious as to how much will be taken out of the 2.5% increase with the Medicare premium jumping to $ 185.00.  With two Seniors living mostly on SS since Our retirement got wiped out in 2008, during the crash, like many others.  Can someone explain how this is calculated and works ?  Thanks.

EDIT: I'm adding in the "star" rating from the Medicare.gov website for each plan listed below.  Not sure if the ratings reflect this year or the previous year, but they are calculated based on customer service, member complaints, member experience with the plan, drug safety, accuracy of pricing. ***********************************************************************I have traditional Medicare (a supplement plus a Part D plan). I currently take 2 cheap drugs for hypertension.  For 2025, the cheapest Medicare Part D plan available in my neck of the woods (Missouri) is Wellcare Value Script (PDP). Plan ID: S4802-152-0  .  Does anyone have any experience with this plan? If so, please advise of your experience. Thank you. I've posted all the plans available to me below. Besides the one I mentioned above, do you think any of these other plans are worth considering, even though they are more expensive? I understand that as one gets older, costs are going to