Medicare & Insurance

Has anyone received this notice from their health care provider?  I read about it on AARP that it was supposed to happen in 2024 then it said 2025.  Now it might be 2026.  Does anyone know when we are supposed to get this?  As I understand it, it would be sent out to all members on a Medicare Advantage plan that usually have perks or benefits not normal in original medicare.  Like if you have a gym membership or OTC benefits and maybe you are not using it because you are not aware of it.    This is not the same as a notice you might get from your provider in the fall so you can compare plans for possible switching the next year.  This is a personalized letter that is supposed to enlighten you about benefits you may not be aware of.  It is supposed to mailed out between June 30-July 31.

While AARP Is strongly and with good zeal calling out these Pharmaceutical companies for ripping off Seniors for their staggering prices on life saving drugs.    I have another issue. Why is AARP pushing for United HealthCare. I recently wanted to switch from my existing secondary healthcare provider to AARP and lo and behold hey wanted to triple my costs. Please excuse me if I’m wrong but i have always been told that AARP backs their Senior Citizens. So if that is the case then IMHO, AARP should NOT be in the business of Healthcare Unless they’re here to lower the prices of our insurance. Hence as i said before, this is without a doubt ‘A Conflict of Interest’.

Both of my parents have had an AARP Medicare Advantage plan from United Healthcare (UHC). In both cases, after they went onto hospice, UHC refused to cover any non-hospice services (those that are not related to their terminal prognosis), even though the Evidence of Coverage contract says they would. (Note that hospice-related charges shift to Original Medicare, even if one is on a Medicare Advantage plan.)For example, my father has a pacemaker, which undergoes routine evaluations. Those evaluations are not hospice-related. Just because someone is on hospice does not mean that they are ready to die based on a problem with their pacemaker. However, UHC is refusing to pay claims related to the pacemaker and insisting that the claims be submitted to Original Medicare instead. When I called UHC about this and spoke with a supervisor, he said that there were "hidden things" that do not appear in the Evidence of Coverage. In addition to having a higher cost for patients (deductible

Not sure why, because I did not request it, but I was automatically enrolled in Part A Medicare. I was collecting widow benefits under my deceased spouse's Social Security starting 2 months before my (what Social Security considered) full retirement date. I switched over to my own Social Security when I turned 70 earlier this year. I still work full time and have been working for the last 40 years with full creditable health care coverage at work. My questions are:1. How did I get automatically enrolled in Part A--did it have anything to do with switching to my own Social Security from the the widower benefit?2. If I sign up for Medicare Part B before I retire and still keep my health insurance at work (which I can do) are there Medigap plans offered that do not require health questions or exams? I live in Florida and would plan to retire after Part B and a medigap policy is in place.

If you're both on the same plan, in the year that the older of you will switch to Medicare, put the younger person as the primary member for the plan. Else, when the older one switches over, the insurer (in our case Blue Shield) will terminate the existing plan and start a new one for the younger person, ie they won't let the remaining member continue the existing plan as the primary member. This means the younger one will lose any $$'s they've accumulated so far that year towards deductible or max out of pocket, because the insurer won't bring those $$'s over to the new plan, they have to start at 0 again.Not too bad if it's a few hundred but when it's a few thousand you can see why they do it, and just guess how much the insurers are making every year out of this policy. 

I received a letter noting my AARP-UHC Plan G policy premium is going up 13% as of July 2024. It also stated the cost will go up another 5% on top of that for January 2025. Did AARP dropped the ball for their membership in going with UHC again this year? What's with a mid-year price increase, regardless of the magnitude.  Is it our responsibility to rescue UHC management or their shareholders when they miss their profit targets that badly? What exactly justifies an 18% price increase in seven months time (from June 2024 to January 2025 premium payments), especially with most of it taken mid-year with very little notice and opportunity to say NO to it?   Could AARP kindly use this situation to investigate what happened and inform members about it,  across ALL the AARP-sanctioned Medigap healthcare plans? Why did this happen and what are AARP and UHC going to do to effectively contain costs so we don't see another huge price increase anytime soon? 

Medicare.gov has this listed: "Community Pricing: Premiums are the same no matter how old you are. Premiums may go up because of inflation or other factors." So, is it this, where everyone goes up the same each year, or is it "Age Attained Pricing like most of the other plans? I joined AARPUH because of the supposedly balanced cost adjustments for all, not per how old each person is, or how ill. If it is not the case, them Medicare needs to change this, as it VERY different coverage than attained age.Mine went up substantially now, 2 years in a row. Plan G.Thanks

FROM THE ARTICLE. Medicare’s Financial Health Worsens.A new report expects the funds for Part A hospital insurance are at risk after 2033.By Tony Pugh, AARP. Published June 18, 2025. Medicare trust fund that helps pay for inpatient hospital stays, known as Part A, won’t have enough money after 2033 to pay all of Medicare beneficiaries’ expected hospital bills — three years sooner than was projected last year — according to this year’s Medicare Board of Trustees report published June 18.At that point, the Part A Hospital Insurance Trust Fund’s reserves “will become depleted and continuing program income will be sufficient to pay 89 percent of total scheduled benefits,” the trustees said in a message to the public, published alongside the report. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/medicare/trustees-report-2025.html

Good Day,I am a long time AARP member who got sick after working 40 yrs. and received a dual early retirement judgment and disability from court in 2013 (or 12).  I got Medicare at the beginning and have been retired over 10 yrs.  I am now 65 yrs. old.In May, 2023, I was robbed of my Medicare card and Medigap card.  I have to wait for the police investigation to end to get my card back, but old providers have honored a copy of it.  I can’t get a couple of surgeries I need done without the card….so far.I’ve been told a recalculation might result in a large increase in my benefit, but I don’t want to risk Medicare.  I am retired under old rules where a person can retire at 65, but my birth year requires retirement at 67, if the new law sticks.  If they can change retirement from 65 to 67, can I lose Medicare/S.S. in spite of my court judgment?  If so, would a recalculation subject me to refiling for Medicare, then being thrown off due to age?  I am

Medicare Supplemental plans have asked the New York Dept of Financial Services to approve a rate increase at the % of increase stated per each company. New York Dept of Financial Services 07/02/2025 - Summary of 2026 Medicare Supplement Requested Rate Actions NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES 2026 MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT INDIVIDUAL AND SMALL GROUP REQUESTED RATE ACTIONS 07/03/2025  NewYork is one of the few states in the Union that has continuous enrollment into Medigap plans without any Underwriting.  Thus it opens the door for Adverse Selection - where beneficiaries that are, perhaps, sicker and using a lot of Medicare can obtain a Medicare Supplemental plan at anytime without underwriting and the cost is shared by everybody. Adverse selection occurs when lower cost or healthier patients opt out of more expensive plans or forego buying insurance until they need it, while higher cost orsicker patients actively buy more protective insurance&

Various changes can be made to Medicare at different government levels.  How do you find out about them especially if they are very beneficial to you? For example, the addition of a new preventive service available at no out of pocket cost.  In the last few years, Medicare has added PrEP coverage under Part B with the associative monthly blood work all covered - This is covered under Part B but it seems many who need this coverage still have this med submitted under Part D and that is costing them lots of money.   Or another example would be how approved immunizations are now covered as NO out of pocket.  Another would be the addition of a preventive test - like the low dose CT Scan for lung cancer if one is a smoker or was a smoker sometimes in their life.  Or at the state level, a change in state law that would allow you to switch your Medigap plan to another carrier or plan (equal or lesser usually) with NO underwriting which may save premium

I never know if people use my links within my post so here is the list of the Medigap insurers - individual and group - that have requested a premium increase from the NY Dept of Financial Services for 2026 and the % amount they are requesting.. https://myportal.dfs.ny.gov/web/prior-approval/medsupp/summary-of-2026-requested-rate-actions The above is the link where the below info was taken.  I copied and pasted the (2) photos as best I coul.   

I need some advice. I will be 70 years old in November. I am still working and have my health insurance through my employer.  Because my Primary care physician does not belong to my insurance group I had to switch to a much more expensive tier in order to keep my primary care physician that I’ve had for over 20 years not to mention that it is costing me about two hundred more each pay period. I’m confused as to what I should do.   I’m not sure if I should apply for Medicare or stay where I am.  Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!! Anthony LaMonica alamonica@aol.com 

Trying to determine if medicare patients have the right to refuse the annual wellness visit or is it mandated by law?

After reading today's New York Times Article "United Health Applies Pressure to try to Quiet Critics",  I ask that you, AARP, rethink your relationship to this insurer. They have numerous lawsuits to take down videos, social media postings, and newspaper articles critical of them. Intimidating critics shows how these people are probably on the right track. I made the decision to drop them during Open Enrollment for Medicare.

California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP), University of California, Berkeley- 04/20/2025 - SB242  This is the Report to the 2025–2026 California State Legislature by this organization about this legislation.  It was introduced this year in the California Senate. It has not yet been passed by both the Senate and the Assembly and then signed into law by the Governor. The bill is focused on expanding open enrollment periods for Medicare supplement coverage.  I am only posting some of the highlights - Understand that this does not affect the “Birthday Rule” in the state where a beneficiary can switch their Medicare Supplemental plan to another plan - of equal or lesser value.     This is actually opening up the Medigap marketplace to those who do not yet have a Medigap plan - they either have nothing or they have a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan.  It also gives those with ESRD a period to get a Medigap plan.  So this is an

Just a note to let you guys know that if your phone is not compatible with their drive app your premium will go up ~$25 a month!   I have a Motorola Android that is not compatible (which I didn't know about until after I had received my quote and changed coverage from my previous Ins carrier) so my premium has gone up $25 and change a month.  Seems to my this is their problem not mine.  We shouldn't be charged because their software isn't compatible.  So I should have to go out and buy a new phone just for their app? Needless to say I am upset.  I could have stayed with my previous carrier for the same coverage, a lower premium and their drive app works perfectly with my Android.  

The Street.com 07/08/2025 - Retired workers to see frustrating change to Medicare in 2026 from the link ~A Medicare change is coming next year, and your wallet will not like it. It’s only an estimate — but if history is any guide, it’s one you’ll want to watch.Tucked deep inside the 267-page 2025 Medicare Trustees report is a projection that the standard monthly Medicare Part B premium could rise to $206.50 in 2026.  That’s an 11.6% jump from the $185 premium set for 2025 — and it would be the largest single-year increase since 2016, when premiums climbed 16.1%, from $104.90 to $121.80. This estimate, however, is not the final number. In fact, it could be even higher.more at the link ~  Yes, this is an estimate by these Wall Street numbers folks but this likely estimate is born out by the 2025 Social Security Trustee Report on Medicare Part B or the Supplemental Medical Insurance (SMI) part of the report. CMS.gov - 2025 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD

I just got refill of xarelto...$360 for 3 month supply. That is a hike of 200% from previous refill. Does anyone know the reason for this outrageous price hike 🤬 

I was recently forced into retirement, at 68 years old. Until this time I had corporate-based medical insurance, so I figured there was no reason to register for Medicare until I did actually retire, which I was planning to do when I turned 70 (I loved my job). I did receive notifications suggesting I register for Medicare, but ignored them as long as I had corporate-based insurance from one of the top-3 providers.  It turns out, that it is not really an "option" to register for Medicare as soon as you turn 65, but in reality, in the eyes of the top-3 medical insurers it is a requirement! These days they deny full coverage, and only pay "what Medicare would not have paid" even though you continue to pay the same full price for insurance from them that you did before you turned 65, in addition to what your employer is also paying on your behalf.  This doesn't seem fair (nothing in life is fair) as they do not reduce your premiums, while they drastically cut your cove

Just FYI in case you get one of these notifications or a new Medicare card.CMS.gov 06/30/2025 - News Release - CMS Notifies Individuals Potentially Impacted by Data Incident  from the link ~What Happened? On May 2, 2025, CMS’ call center began receiving inquiries from beneficiaries who received letters confirming the creation of Medicare.gov accounts they did not initiate. CMS promptly launched an investigation and discovered that malicious actors had fraudulently created new accounts between 2023 and 2025 using valid beneficiary information, including Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBI), coverage start date, last name, date of birth, and zip code. Once these unauthorized accounts were established, bad actors may have accessed additional beneficiary data, including: Provider informationMailing addressDates of serviceDiagnosis codesServices receivedPlan premium detailsCMS is not aware of any reports of identity fraud or misuse of the information as a direct r

Can someone help me understand Medicare a little bit more than I do.  I have traditional Medical Part B, D and Plan G.  I had a procedure done recently for which the hospital billed Medicare $60,000.  The Medicare approved amount was around $1,800, or 3% of the billed amount.  How is Medicare able to reduce their price to 3% of market?  Why would any physician want to do business with Medicare given that they pay 3% of what the market pays.  What is in it for them? My second question has to do with Plan G.  When I signed onto Plan G I was thinking that the Medicare approved amount was going to be closer to market, like maybe a 15-20% discount.  This would still leave the patient with a sizeable co-pay on expensive surgeries.  But if a $60,000 surgery is negotiated down to $1,800 then the co-pays are peanuts…20% of $1,800 is $360.  I would have to have a $1MM medical procedure once every three years for the Plan G Premium of $185/mo

FROM THE ARTICLE. Get Help Paying for Medicare Premiums, Deductibles, Copays.Find out if you qualify for a federal or state financial assistance program or prescription discounts. By Kim Lankford, AARP. Reviewed by Leigh Purvis, MPA. Published January 28, 2022.➡️[*** Updated June 30, 2025. Medicare covers most of your health care expenses after you turn 65, but it isn’t free.You’ll still have out-of-pocket costs for Medicare Part A hospitalization, Part B doctor and outpatient services, and Part D prescription coverage. If you’re part of a Medicare Advantage plan, also known as Part C, you’ll have cost sharing, too. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/medicare/financial-assistance/

I received my letter informing me how much I’ll receive and hound expect my first payment June 10th or around. Was wondering if anyone know how long this first delay can be?

GREAT- NPR 06/30/2025 - DOJ announces a record-breaking takedown of health care (MEDICAID) fraud schemes