topic Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say?? in Medicare & Insurance

Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

Hassiman — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:20:06 GMT

Hi,
AARP's Medicare Supplemental Medicare Insurance sounds great... but I decided that before I purchase it I should read the reviews.

I was astounded!

Consumer affairs reviews were the worst I have EVER seen for any product or service from any company. People were talking about outright misrepresentation of services, copays, non-existent customer service. Representatives simply hanging up on customers, drug formularies not covering many common medications. Increasing co-pays. A litany of misrepresentation and worse.

Now I understand the Internet. You will always find people more willing to badmouth a product or service than to praise it... but I looked for positive reviews and found none...

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/insurance/aarp_medicare.html

Is it really this bad? If so why does AARP tolerate this if they are, as they claim, an organization that exists to promote the best interests of senior citizens?

Have I simply been looking for reviews of AARP United Healthcare supplemental insurance in the wrong places?

Can anyone here describe their own experience with this insurance? I live in California... but will be moving to Arizona...

If not AARP/UHC insurance, can anyone here recommend a company for Medicare supplemental insurance with which they have had a positive experience?

Thanks

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

GailL1 — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:55:48 GMT

Hassiman,

After reading your comments and those on that consumer affairs board that you linked, I can see that there is a good bit of confusion.

I don't know how long you or those commenters have been in the Medicare program but it is made up of many different parts.

Your post heading says "supplemental" insurance which is Medigap coverage and there is not too much a private insurer in such a program as Medicare Medigap (supplemental) insurance can do to mess up since each of the plans are strictly defined by their alphabet title and coverage by Medicare although state insurance regulators can watch premiums and how those premiums are set in their state.

There is NO formulary medication coverage in a supplemental plan.

The only medications which cover the part that Medicare doesn't pay are the ones described in Medicare Part B or as described if you are hospitalized or institutionalized for recooperation for a period of time.

Normally with traditional Medicare, you buy a supplemental policy to augment it and then based on your medication needs, you buy a separate Medicare D policy.

Of course, seniors also have the choice of participating in Medicare Part C or s Medicare Advantage plan instead of participation in traditional Medicare, a supplemental policy and a prescription drug plan.

Within a Medicare Advantage Plan the private insurer has some leeway as to the plan design but must still cover basically the same things as Medicare. No Medigap or supplemental policy is needed with a Medicar Advantage plan. Prescription Drug coverage may or may not be included in the Medicare Advantage plan as well as some other perks which may also be included in these Medicare Advantage (private insurer) plans.

Everybody has to pick and choose the type of Medicare which is best for them in coverage and in price.

some of the people responding on that consumer affairs site also seem to be confused.

I suggest that you begin reading everything on Medicare.gov for clearer understanding and what type Medicare Plans are best for you and your health needs.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

Hassiman — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 19:59:22 GMT

Thanks.... It is totally confusing which is why I decided posting a question on the AARP forum might get me some clarity.

Given your reply how exactly would you define the plans AARP/United Health Care offer:

https://www.aarpmedicaresupplement.com/medicare-insurance/find-a-plan-download.html

It is a supplement by their definition... they say that they allow you to choose your own physician if the accept medicare. Do I need to subscribe to medicare Part B as well as this medicare supplement?

I believe that "Medicare Advantage" plans are far more limiting... and may not be portable should one move to another state. Is that not correct?

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

byrondennis — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 20:51:04 GMT

@Hassiman wrote:
Thanks.... It is totally confusing which is why I decided posting a question on the AARP forum might get me some clarity. Given your reply how exactly would you define the plans AARP/United Health Care offer:

https://www.aarpmedicaresupplement.com/medicare-insurance/find-a-plan-download.html

It is a supplement by their definition... they say that they allow you to choose your own physician if the accept medicare. Do I need to subscribe to medicare Part B as well as this medicare supplement? I believe that "Medicare Advantage" plans are far more limiting... and may not be portable should one move to another state. Is that not correct?

The plans at the link you provided are private Medigap plans as described by Gail in her response to you in the second comment on this thread.

Medicare Advantage plans are both more limited and less limited. They are mostly HMOs and PPOs so the providers are limited to whomever is in the HMO or PPO. (This has nothing to do with Medicare; that's the way HMOs and PPOs work. Over 100,000,000 people in the U.S. not on Medicare are in HMOs and PPOs.) And you are right they are limited in a way to given counties in the U.S. (but almost every county has some to choose from) just as Medigap plans are limited in a way by state (although some Medigap plans let you take them with you if you legally change your residence). Public Part C Medicare Advantage plans are less limited in that they typically cover more services than and cost less (even though they have co-pays) than the combination of Original Medicare and a Medigap plan and all have an annual out of pocket spend limit (most Medigap plans do not)

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

drawpoker — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 01:00:43 GMT

".......It is a supplement by their definition... they say that they allow you to choose your own physician if the accept medicare. Do I need to subscribe to medicare Part B as well as this medicare supplement? "

__________________________________________________________________

No offense meant, Hassiman, but your knowledge of Medicare seems quite shaky. At least based on that last question you posed.

Yes, you have to be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B. (paying the monthly premiums for Part B I mean)

This is true whether you are on Original Medicare with a Supplement (Medigap) or if you decide to enroll in Part C (Medicare Advantage)

You still have to pay (or have your state pay if you are poor enough) the monthly Part B premium. Currently $104.90 for most people; higher for higher income people.

In Calif you have the state protection of what is called the "Birthday Rule". If you move to **bleep** you will lose that.

Slick UHC reps love to tout the "Birthday Rule" to Calif customers in the rather disingenuous way of making it sound as tho it is a company rule (AARP endorsed UnitedHealth Care) rather than a state-specific reg exclusive to Calif. The state of Oregon has something similar, but not technically the same, and is not named the "Birthday Rule".

So, tread very carefully when making this move. Research, research, and research again Arizona Medigap premiums. You might be in for an unpleasant surprise, as in another recent thread, a UHC customer was led down the garden path by greedy and unscrupulous reps when making a move from Connecticut to Florida.

Be careful ! And, please, do some homework in the meantime and bone up on Medicare and how the various parts work. You seem to be very much in the, er, dark here on the fine points.

Lack of knowledge can hurt - some mistakes cannot be "undone"

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

drawpoker — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 01:04:49 GMT

Am really loving this AARP new software

Apparently if you write the official USPS abbreviation for the state of Arizona it becomes -

** B L E E P **

S T U P I D , S T U P I D, S T U P I D

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

Arturistar — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 17:51:17 GMT

I am a 69 year old female and live in Ohio. I have been on the United Healthcare Supplelmental Plan F insurance since I turned 65. I have been completely happy with the plan and have not had any problems what so ever. I like the plan because there is no paperwork involved, I can go to any doctor and hospital I want without any referrals, the customer service has been good, my doctors always get paid with no problems, and it is the most convenient of all the plans. I have my monthly insurance fee paid electronically, so I rarely need to give my medical insurance a second thought. I suggest you read all the information regarding all plans to educate yourself on making the best choice for you. Their website provides lot of useful information and comparison charts. The Supplemental Plan F is probably the most expensive, but I feel it is worth it for all the options and convenience factors. I cannot respond to problems others have had -- this feedback is only based upon my own experience for the past 4 years.

Good luck to you.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

GailL1 — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 18:05:05 GMT

@Arturistar

Keep paying your Plan F premiums on time cause there might be a time in the not so distant future when there will be no more Plan F - you will be grandfathered but no more Medigap Plan F will be offered. Reason being according to the government is that it is too generous - people need some skin in the game to use their plan wisely.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

Chris7715 — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 22:41:26 GMT

GailL1 wrote:
Keep paying your Plan F premiums on time cause there might be a time in the not so distant future when there will be no more Plan F - you will be grandfathered but no more Medigap Plan F will be offered. Reason being according to the government is that it is too generous - people need some skin in the game to use their plan wisely.

IMO this idea the government has about Plan F is ridiculous. And to make matter worse, should Plan F become too expensive, the good old government gives no option to a person who can not pass medical underwriting except to stick with it or have no supplement at all (except in certain states which give people better options than the Feds.) My Plan F is getting very expensive but even if I wanted to change, I could not due to a surgery that I will have to have some time in the next few years. I wrote to my US Senators about the issue of being locked in to a MedSup plan after the first six months on Medicare. One did not reply and the other said thank you for contacting me about the Affordable Care Act. Duh!!! Just reinforces my thinking that Congress does not really understand the workings of Medicare except that it costs a lot.

Chris

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

Arturistar — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 01:55:06 GMT

Gail,

Thanks for the heads up about Plan F may be ending. I had planned to keep the plan, and pay the cost. Like I said, I have been happy. Fortunately I have been very healthy and rarely go to the doctor and only take 3 Tier 1 prescriptions, so I am sure they are making money on me. I do like the security Plan F provides though. Best of luck to all those who are trying to make sense out of all the plans and options.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

GailL1 — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 02:24:11 GMT

.Chris, as with any other Medigap plan that is no longer offered, if a person has Plan F now and keeps their premiums paid, they will continue to have the same plan. It will just be closed to any further enrollment.

not being able to change Medigap plans because of medical underwriting or whatever is more of a state issue, that is to say a state insurance regulatory process or rule.

The feds only develop the plans, states set the insurance regulatory rule about how rating and premiums occur.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

byrondennis — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 12:35:40 GMT

@GailL1 wrote:

Keep paying your Plan F premiums on time cause there might be a time in the not so distant future when there will be no more Plan F - you will be grandfathered but no more Medigap Plan F will be offered. Reason being according to the government is that it is too generous - people need some skin in the game to use their plan wisely.

Gail, when you say "there might be a time in the not so distant future" are you referring to the first-dollar-coveage changes in Medgiap law that happened in the spring of 2015 (effective 2019 I think for new enrollees) or some other possiblity?

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

mtbranche — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 19:41:48 GMT

A couple of months ago, I had two issues to address--get a new AARP card mailed and a United Healthcare Part D Supplement ID. I went ahead and printed the online card while waiting, which had the same membership number printed on my AARP Chase Visa Rewards credit card, but when the mail arrived I had a new AARP membership number. I called United Healthcare and was informed that my old number was now my Part D Supplement insurance policy number, so I orderwd an ID card for that over the phone. Now I get loads of junk mail asking if I would like to try and qualify for a United Healthcare policy wveryday, but no insurance supplement card to go with the Medicare card I have had since August of 1989.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

jm590797 — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 06:59:31 GMT

My wife and I have had the Plan F Supplemental coverage via AARP/UHC for two years. We are very happy with the plan. We have no co-pays. However, be advised that the plan cost has increased 7.5% per year since we signed on. We started out at $265 a month and now we are at $306 a month. I created a spreadsheet projecting a 7.5% cost increase over the next 20 years and there is definitely a point where the coverage will no longer be affordable and it looks for us like it will be when we are in our mid-70's.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

GailL1 — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 14:26:22 GMT

@jm590797 wrote:
My wife and I have had the Plan F Supplemental coverage via AARP/UHC for two years. We are very happy with the plan. We have no co-pays. However, be advised that the plan cost has increased 7.5% per year since we signed on. We started out at $265 a month and now we are at $306 a month. I created a spreadsheet projecting a 7.5% cost increase over the next 20 years and there is definitely a point where the coverage will no longer be affordable and it looks for us like it will be when we are in our mid-70's.

Supplemental Medicare plans are governed by the federal government AND the state in which you live. The rating structure is based upon the way your state has decided to do it. It could be age related, community based, etc. So before you determine fault for rate increases, then you need to determine how your state has legislated for these plans to be structured.

Here are are some informational links -

https://www.medicare.gov/supplement-other-insurance/compare-medigap/compare-medigap.html

http://www.ehealthmedicare.com/medicare-supplement/issue-age-pricing/

Any other increase, as most other insurance plans, has to be approved by your insurance commissioner if it is over some stated threshold.

Plan F is one of the most expensive supplemental plans, if not the most expensive. This is because it covers just about everything that Medicare does not pay with NO out of pocket on your part, in fact it even covers your deductible.

This is type of plan may well go the way of the dinosaurs and not to far into the future because one of the ways to help control healthcare cost is to have the beneficiaries have at least some out of pocket. The current Administration has already suggested this several times and it seems to be in the investigational works.

If you want to keep this type of coverage, you have to stay enrolled and pay your premiums. For others just signing up, someday these type plans might not be available at all.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

sktn77a — Thu, 12 May 2016 02:53:08 GMT

Without getting into the positive or negative reviews of the AARP/UHC medicare supplement plan F, it is interesting to note that this is one of the most expensive Plan F offerings out there. How come AARP, perhaps the largest organizations out there (excepting the various governments and government agencies), can't negotiate a better deal with UHC?

For example, including the somewhat odd decreasing "discount" applied over the first decade, and not accounting for any group rate increases over the next 25 years, the premiums alone would amount to over $60,000 during this time! Compare this to, say, the Old Surety Insurance Company's plan F which would cost approx $39,000 for the same coverage over the same time period. Note that this is an "issue age" policy which, unlike an "attained age" policy, is comparable to AARP/UHC's "no-age" policy.

I don't see much benefit to being a member of AARP and blindly purchasing their medigap policy because their stated mission is to look after seniors' best interests. Can someone perhaps help me understand why I should even bother with the AARP membership and benefits when one of their primary products/services appears to be one of the least competitive in the market?

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

GailL1 — Thu, 12 May 2016 15:04:51 GMT

@sktn77a

A link for you

How to compare Medigap policies from Medicare.gov

Federal and state laws govern Medigap policies.

If Plan F is available in your state, all Plan F's must cover the same Medicare benefits - shown in the Medicare.gov link.

So if you are only looking for these benefits, don't get confused by one insurer being more famous than another.

I always thought that state law regulates how Medigap policies are rated and thus all in your state would use the same rating method - community rated / age related, etc.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

sktn77a — Thu, 12 May 2016 15:55:04 GMT

Thanks Gail1. Yes, I'm familiar with that. North Carolina has all three different rated policies so you have to be careful you're comparing apples to apples. My concern, however was that AARP endorses only one policy and it is one of the most expensive. Given that all Plan F policies must provide identica coverage, I can't figure out why the AARP-endorsed policy is so expensive?

Unless.......................

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

GailL1 — Thu, 12 May 2016 16:25:30 GMT

AARP and UHC have an affiliation agreement. No big secret there.

Same is true of their other affiliates.

As the Medicare link says additional benefits can also be added and these, if any, have to be weighed against a person's needs and cost.

Re: Is AARP United Healthcare Medicare supplimental insurance as bad as the customer reviews say??

MelissaKay — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 16:25:45 GMT

My mom had the same issue and brought it to my attention. After doing some research I found a good website that provided useful information and other options that would give her the same coverage and reduce the cost. I found out that Plan F is going away soon and that Plan G would be the best alternative... so keep that in mind as well. Here is some info I found on Plan G...

https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplement/plan-g/