What is AARP doing to control the costs of the AARP UHC Supplemental Part G plan increases?

May want to read the various threads on this.  🙂

That’s a big spike but not unheard of right now - I’d double-check if you’re still in your best rate class and maybe call around, sometimes loyalty costs more than switching.

@LialT25366 

AARP has NO control over the premium prices of the supplemental plans that bear their royalty name thru United Healthcare.  

AARP® MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT FROM UNITEDHEALTHCARE® 

Read the details and the disclosure.

This broker seems to explain their relationship pretty well on their website -

The BIG 65.com - UnitedHealthcare Medigap Reviews: Is It Worth It? 

Premiums are set like all other supplemental plans based on the plan you have and

• USAGE
• RISK
• INFLATION

YOUR state approves these annual rate increases and your policy controls your declining enrollment discount if you have one.

ALL supplemental plans are experiencing some increases this year - yours seems quite modest compared to some that I am hearing about (not just AARP/UHC supplementals either).

Here’s are some recent discussion on Reddit of what some who are experiencing increases on their plan have to say - They are looking for an alternative if they can find one with or without underwriting depending on the state.

Reddit Medicare.com - What do elders do when Medigap gets out of reach? 

Reddit Medicare: High Deductible Plan G 

Reddit Medicare.com - TX AARP/UHC PLAN N INCREASE FOR 2027 RECEIVED 

Reddit Medicare.com - SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN N 

Reddit Medicare.com - Experience Changing Plan G Supplement Provider in Texas 

There are more just in the last 30 days - if you care to see more.

So it isn’t just AARP/UHC supplemental plans that are increasing in premium cost  - 

I am afraid that it may get worse within more states, if more states decide to expand their guaranteed issue rights or if they extend more plans to be available to those that are less than 65.

@LialT25366 

Here is some of the reasons why your Plan G in Kentucky is going up - and it may continue to go up year after year or you can spend your birthday looking for a new plan every year within the rules of this state law.  

Kentucky Dept of Ins.gov - MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT UPDATE CONSUMER The “Birthday Rule” and Enrollment Changes Effective January 1, 2024 

From the link:

In 2023, the Kentucky Legislature passed a new law, KRS 304.14-525 (2023 Regular Session House Bill 345, Chapter 182, Acts of the General Assembly), which became effective January 1, 2024. The law applies to all Medicare Supplement policies, including group association plans and closed blocks ALERT

that are available, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2024. It provides

new open enrollment periods and an annual guaranteed issue period referred to as the “Birthday Rule.”

The changes that are affecting your increase in premium -

1.  As of January 1, 2024, anyone becoming eligible for Medicare under age sixty-five will also have a six-month open enrollment period for all Medicare Supplement policies, beginning on the first day of the month they enroll into Medicare Part B.

2. The Birthday Rule requires companies to provide “guaranteed issue” rights, once a year, to applicants who apply for the same Plan they are currently enrolled in, but with a different insurer. The application must be submitted within sixty (60) days after their birthday. This is a Plan for Plan replacement only (e.g., G to G) and is not contingent on age.

“Plan to Plan” includes all variations of that lettered Plan. For example, an individual enrolled in an innovative or “Select” Plan would be able to utilize the new Birthday Rule to switch to a cheaper standard Plan without innovative benefits or “Select” requirements at guaranteed issue.

The only difference is the time frame. There is a six-month period for open enrollment and a sixty (60)-day period related to your birthday, for guaranteed issue. During both of these periods an insurer is prohibited from performing underwriting, meaning the insurance company cannot request any health or medical information, including, height and weight, tobacco use, or

prescription drug history.

[end copy paste from the link] 

[ME]   Things like this affect the risk level of all policies in your state.  Even Plan G because if a person less than 65 on Medicare because of a disability has the money, they may really want most ALL of their medical expenses paid for under this Plan - just like you.  Because they are disabled, they may be extremely high health care users.  The Social Security law that governs the program of Medicare made NO stipulation for those less than 65 to even have access to a Medicare Supplemental plan and some states to this day do not or they limit their choice to one of the lesser benefit plans ONLY like Plan A or Plan B.

The Birthday rules allows you to change plans without underwriting.  Underwriting is a way that an insurer can equalize the medical cost of a person moving from one plan (or insurer) to another if their pre-existing condition is not too extreme for the switch to be denied.  But now NO underwriting in KY if this part of the law is followed - 

So at the same time that those under 65 whom maybe high health care users perhaps are opting for a Plan G, you have others of any age that are jumping ship from Plan G to some other Plan G under a different insurer to save premium cost AND they maybe much healthier than the ones that under 65 signing up for Plan G. So there is an imbalance of the RISK in your plan G - i.e., more under 65 beneficiaries going into the plan (perhaps with higher health care cost) and less regular beneficiaries staying in the plan  (perhaps healthier ones that are changing insurers just to save premium cost).

Insurance is a game of numbers - actuarial figures used to set premiums by the insurance company and as I said before many times is based on USAGE, RISK and INFLATION.  When they have this type of unknown as to who is gonna be joining their various plans - there is less certainty that it is a good number but that could mean that they are low in their figures and thus the next year, they have to go up even more to accommodate their losses in the previous year.  

I can almost bet you that your increase in the state of KY may have been higher and your DOI held them down - that may not be the case in the next years once this new law has been firmly set in the minds of the beneficiaries - and they begin to set the pattern.

Just curious - Did you know about this?  Did you know about this law change in Kentucky?

I know that this seems like a kind thing to do, to have these type state laws - for the Medigap consumers - those on Medicare and those on Medicare who are less than 65 and are disabled - but from the premium setting standpoint, it will cause premiums to rise, no doubt - 

I am concerned that these increases are gonna price some insurers out of the Medigap market place.  I am concerned that these increases are gonna force some beneficiaries to go on a Medicare Advantage plan because premiums will rise higher than they can afford - maybe not today or tomorrow but if it keeps going then someday this could be a likelihood.  

So if you are looking to place some blame - look to your state legislature.  They probably thought they were doing “a good thing”  but it is a “good thing” WITH some proven bad consequences for many.  You are experiencing some of the consequences but around your birthday, you can switch plans. That is your solution - You have an out - you don’t need AARP to fix anything, even if they could - in fact, perhaps AARP supports these type of consumer Medigap laws - IDK.

This is a good article - 

Medicare Resources.org - 04/04/2026 - The ‘birthday rule’: a gift to Medigap enrollees????? 

from the link (and lots more at the link - for consumers to become more knowledgeable about “birthday rules” )   EVERYBODY needs to know the Medigap laws in their state.  

although birthday rules have been gaining traction with state lawmakers, they can also have downsides. Requiring insurers to accept enrollees regardless of their medical history can result in higher premiums for all enrollees, and fewer insurers choosing to offer Medigap plans in the state. This is something that lawmakers and state insurance departments must take into consideration when deciding what sorts of guaranteed-issue consumer protections to put in place for Medigap plans. 

BTW, I am adding - the way that KY made their switch law - Plan to Plan between insurers - they preserved the commission of the new insurer agent - Insurance industry probably really like this - well the agents anyway.  If done like some other states where a beneficiary could just switch plan choices and not always insurers, the agent just get a stipend for his time to switch the plan type.

Good Luck to All in your decision making.  

So which way should AARP support in these laws????

EDITED:  for clarity and misspellings.