topic Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages in Medicare & Insurance

Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

jphorenci — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:25:58 GMT

I am absolutely appalled at the just announced price increases for United Healthcare coverage. The increase in RX (over 90%) announced during the last open enrollment was enough force me to make a change and now the supplemental health coverage increase (22%) is astounding. As their primary selling agent, you should anticipate my changing to another, more affordable carrier at my first opportunity and hopefully a boatload of others doing the same. Shameful, unjustified, heartless, and ridiculous. Shame on both you and United Healthcare.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

AARPConsumerCare — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 19:40:45 GMT

Hi @jphorenci, we are also concerned by price increases that in some cases would double the cost of people’s monthly premiums. AARP knows that any increases, let alone ones on this scale, are difficult to manage – especially for people on fixed incomes. A major driver of these increases is the underlying prices of prescription drugs charged by pharmaceutical companies. It is why AARP has fought so hard to bring down those prices, including by allowing Medicare to negotiate for better prices on behalf of consumers. Thanks to the law that passed last year, Medicare now has that ability with the first negotiated prices taking effect in 2026.

The current Part D premium increases are not unique to the AARP-branded Medicare Rx Part D plans from UnitedHealthcare and are happening across the industry. UnitedHealthcare has informed us that their goal is to provide valuable, sustainable, and affordable plans for Medicare members. According to United, although premiums for most Medicare Part D plans change each year, it has worked hard to minimize those increases over the past few years. If you are interested in learning more about other available plans during open enrollment, please contact Medicare directly at: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or visit: medicare.gov/plan-compare/ to use the comparison tool. - Diana G.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

LauraA422032 — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:27:47 GMT

I just received notice from UHC that my Medigap plan premium is increasing 4/1/2024. When I signed up for the plan during open enrollment, the premium was slightly higher than last years. How can they increase the premium 4 months later, when open enrollment has ended and I cannot change plans until next year? This is bait and switch. I informed AARP and I'm contacting the Govt next.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

SummerOnTheWay1 — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:32:24 GMT

(3/18/24) @LauraA422032 , good for you!!! If enough people complain, MAYBE AARP will care. 🙄 Good Luck. 👵

[*** LAURA @LauraA422032 wrote:
I just received notice from UHC that my Medigap plan premium is increasing 4/1/2024. When I signed up for the plan during open enrollment, the premium was slightly higher than last years. How can they increase the premium 4 months later, when open enrollment has ended and I cannot change plans until next year? This is bait and switch. I informed AARP and I'm contacting the Govt next. ***]

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

AARPConsumerCare — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:55:24 GMT

Hi Nicole! We're sorry to hear you’re having trouble with one of our benefit providers. We are listening and would like the chance to help as soon as possible. Please visit https://help.aarp.org/s/article/contact-aarp to chat, text, or speak with a representative who can get you in touch with our Member Relations team. -Sue J

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

SummerOnTheWay1 — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 20:07:54 GMT

➡️*** 3/18/24 WRONG NAME ***⬅️

Hey Sue J @AARPConsumerCare , LAURA @LauraA422032 is the person who posted a complaint TODAY. Thanks, Nicole

[*** SUE @AARPConsumerCare wrote:
Hi ➡️*** Nicole! ***⬅️ We're sorry to hear you’re having trouble with one of our benefit providers. We are listening and would like the chance to help as soon as possible. Please visit https://help.aarp.org/s/article/contact-aarp to chat, text, or speak with a representative who can get you in touch with our Member Relations team. -Sue J ***]

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

GailL1 — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:09:26 GMT

Medigap premium.increases are reviewed and approved by your state’s dept of insurance. There is NOT an OPEN enrollment period for Medigap plans - there is only the initial enrollment period except in some states with a “birthday rule” or some sort of state rule that allows you to change plans based on some criteria.

Open enrollment is only for Medicare Advantage plans or a Medicare Prescription Drug plan NOT a MediGAP plan.

Yes, Medigap plans can go up - they go up because of medical inflation plus based on whatever method they use to rate the MediGAP plan that you picked

community rated
issue age rated
attained age rated

They could do each of these separately - medical inflation 1st then a rated-based claim next. Or actually for any other reason that passes your state’s approval system -

After all, MediGAP policies aren’t health insurance - they are financial protection insurance to protect you from the “limitless” out of pocket cost in Original Medicare which the beneficiary has to bear.

Some people handle this by getting a Medicare Advantage plan where the Medicare out of pocket cost are restricted under these managed care insurers. Others get a MediGAP to pay this Medicare out of pocket and continue to pay higher and higher premium as they continue their original Medicare coverage. Your MediGAP plan will continue to go up in premium cost - how much? Who knows but the risk pool that you are in within your plan will get older and older and usually this may mean sicker and sicker.

MediGAP insurers are getting hit pretty hard in the last few years because now people are getting back to seeing their doctors regularly which they stopped doing during the PHE (Public Health Emergency - i.e. Covid Pandemic).

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

GailL1 — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:14:52 GMT

@SummerOnTheWay1 wrote

. . . . . If enough people complain, MAYBE AARP will care . . .

+++++++++++++++++++++++

They may “care” but there is little they can do - they ONLY get royalty payments from UHC for use of their name in the promotion of their product - AARP has nothing to do with the benefits or premiums of the insurance company.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

GailL1 — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:34:06 GMT

As a beneficiary of a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, the government has negotiated several really big cost saving changes that will go into effect in 2024, 2025 and 2026 and also a restriction of how much premiums can go up beginning in the following years. So as a result of these changes, the insurers are doing some adjustments in their premiums for this year to get ready for this additional coverage they are going to have to bear come beginning in 2025.

Did you think that these things would just occur without cost?

KFF.ORG- 04/23/2023 - Changes to Medicare Part D in 2024 and 2025 Under the Inflation Reduction Act and How Enrollees Will Benefit

It’s also been in the regular MSN

CNBC 11/23/2023 - Retirees face significantly higher Medicare Part D prescription drug premiums in 2024. What to know

Where your money is involved, pay attention to the government - you don’t get anything for FREE.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

AARPConsumerCare — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 14:09:52 GMT

We're sorry to hear you’re having trouble with UnitedHealthcare, @LauraA422032. We are listening and would like the chance to help as soon as possible. Please visit https://help.aarp.org/s/article/contact-aarp to chat, text, or speak with a representative who can get you in touch with our Member Relations team. - Diana G.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

LauraA422032 — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:49:29 GMT

According to CMS and the benefits company my old employer uses, as well as the UHC plan document, I cannot change plans after the open enrollment period. There are a few exceptions, and being misled is one of them. My issue is more with how it was done: 8% increase during enrollment, then again a few months later. Had I known the second increase (15%) was coming, it would have better informed my decision on which policy to buy,

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

LauraA422032 — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:50:47 GMT

AARP called me this morning and is working it.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

GailL1 — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 21:59:18 GMT

@LauraA422032 wrote

According to CMS and the benefits company my old employer uses, as well as the UHC plan document . . . .

++++++++++++++++++++++++

For clarity ~

By the above comment do you mean you have Retiree Coverage and that is where you are getting your UHC Medigap plan?

So it isn't an AARP-UHC branded policy? What does your old employer have to do with it?

If so, some other Medicare info may be pertinent.

Medicare.gov - Retiree insurance & Medicare

If this is a Retiree type Medigap policy - it is different.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

LauraA422032 — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 22:14:05 GMT

No, I don't have retiree coverage. My old employer offers a service (a broker?) that helps with medicare coverage. There isn't a difference in cost but I do benefit from an HRA provided by my old employer. I have an AARP branded UHC plan.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

JamesH549418 — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 19:47:37 GMT

Wow! Add me to the list.

I just received my AARP UHC Plan N rate increase notice today. 11.7% increase mid year. My AARP UHC Rx more than doubled last fall after the aforementioned previous increase for Plan N. I too have a broker, ViaBenefits through the employer I retired from.

It seems like in the overall effort to reduce health care and prescription costs for some results in the majority paying more through premium increases.

It will be time to call the broker next open enrollment and shop around.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

AARPConsumerCare — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:21:46 GMT

@JamesH549418, we are also concerned by price increases that in some cases would double the cost of people’s monthly premiums AARP knows that any increases, let alone ones on this scale, are difficult to manage – especially for people on fixed incomes. A major driver of these increases is the underlying prices of prescription drugs charged by pharmaceutical companies. It is why AARP has fought so hard to bring down those prices, including by allowing Medicare to negotiate for better prices on behalf of consumers. Thanks to the law that passed last year, Medicare now has that ability with the first negotiated prices taking effect in 2026.

If you are interested in learning more about other available plans during open enrollment, please contact Medicare directly at: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). You can also use the comparison tool on the Medicare website: medicare.gov/plan-compare/ - Diana G.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

RitaC373420 — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 12:48:43 GMT

I just retired and began Medicare coverage in September 2023. A Medicare Benefits Consultant advised me to select AARP United Healthcare as my supplemental coverage. My initial premium was reasonable; however, after less than eight months as a plan member, I received yesterday from AARP United Healthcare a letter about an increase to my Medicare Supplement Plan G. I am appalled at the huge increase. My premium increased more than 14%, an increase of 24.28 per month. If I want to switch Medicare supplement providers, I would have to go through underwriting. I certainly feel trapped by this situation and am unsure what to do next. If AARP United Healthcare keeps increasing the cost each year at such a high rate, I will soon be priced out of getting supplemental health care coverage. I am appalled that AARP, an organization that I respect, would allow United Healthcare to get away with taking advantage of seniors who are on fixed incomes.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

AARPConsumerCare — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 14:26:47 GMT

We're sorry to hear you’re having trouble with United Healthcare, @RitaC373420. We are listening and would like the chance to help as soon as possible. Please visit https://help.aarp.org/s/article/contact-aarp to chat, text, or speak with a representative who can get you in touch with our Member Relations team. - Diana G.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

RitaC373420 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:46:16 GMT

Actually, I just discovered that the increase was 15.3%, far more than the rate of inflation.

Re: Recent premium increase for United Healthcare coverages

GailL1 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 14:58:55 GMT

@RitaC373420

GAP insurance premiums for Medicare is based on a lot of different things - MEDICAL inflation is but just one. The coverage extensions to some relatively expensive treatments covered under Medicare could be another [like the new Alzheimer’s treatment coverage]. The expanded Part B coverage of insulin for pumps could be another. When more benefits are added, the GAP coverage is there to pick up their part of the increase in coverage benefits.

Then there could also be a reduction of any premium discount which you might be under and of course, the rating method of your plan. I believe that many UHC Medigap plans have such a declining discount.

Or if there is an added benefit in your policy outside of the standard federally mandated coverage, that part of the premium could also go up - like for gym participation or something else - cause these are outside of the plan coverage and are extra benefits.

I can’t tell you specifically why it went up - maybe your state can or the insurer.

However, here is a notice that UHC sent to the state of Vermont in November of 2023 discussing their increase premiums for 2024 MediGAP plans -

https://www.uhc.com/content/dam/uhcdotcom/en/Legal/required-state-notices/2024-VT-Rate-Increase-Justification-AARP-Medicare-Supp-plans.pdf