2024 Rate Info for AARP / UHC Medicare Supplement Plans

[MarkH983192]

I have been trying to get UHC to provide me my Medicare Supplement rate for 2024. I have called customer service to see if there is any document outlining the rates for 2024 but it is like pulling teeth. The people in the UHC customer service center are very hard to understand and I have had no luck getting any info from them or an email with the details. Any guidance is greatly appreciated. 

[garyaneudahl]

Please be aware that the 2024 rate for the AARP-UHC Plan G is changing mid-year for me, and is going up an unconscionable 13% as of July 2024. I've been informed it will go up another 5% on top of that for January 2025.

I thing AARP dropped the ball for their membership in going with UHC again this year.  What exactly justifies an 18% price increase in seven months time (from my June 2024 to my January 2025 premium payments)?  How about AARP using this situation to inform members about what's happening across ALL the AARP-sanctioned Medigap healthcare plans, why, and what they're doing to effectively contain costs for their members, so we don't see another huge price increase anytime soon? 

Somebody was asleep at the switch to allow an 18% premium increase to occur in a seven month period. Assure us with the knowledge you gain in reviewing the current travesty that this isn't going to happen again anytime soon,  We can't afford it!!

[MarkH983192]

I had a price increase of 6.3% in February of this year. Now I see another increase of 8.1% in June. Very disappointed to see this going on. Is AARP doing anything to control these out of control price increases? 

[MarcsyPE]

I am a bit late coming to this party, but I have been doing a lot of research on the issue of the Medicare Supplement increases. I have a Plan G Supplement in Texas through another top-rated insurer (Not AARP-UHC).  I have been asking questions which included filing a complaint with my state (TDI-Texas Department of Insurance) about the fact that my wife and I are seeing pretty high increases as well. Of course this is all about claim loss history versus premiums collected. Basically, all Plan G's are the same on benefits so the only reason a premium can be increased is twofold. One is if it is an age attained policy. This means that as your age goes up, they can arbitrarily add a percentage each year.  This is in addition to the second reason for a rate increase in premiums which has to be justified to the state regulators on the basis of claims loss over a percentage of premiums collected. Now Texas also has a two-tiered system of claims loss allowed. For Individual policies it is 65%.  For Group it is 75%. 

My policy in Texas is based on an area (zip code prefix) and I live about two counties away from a major metropolitan area but because we share the same prefix as some of their suburbs we get hit with a 15% premium increase over the rest of the states non- urban areas. They have an increased rate for smokers versus non-smokers and for gender (e.g. male vs female). And it was also explained when I got my policy. that the state would have to approve any rate increase. My policy stated "Any change in premium will apply to all covered persons in your same class based on the issue
state of your policy." Now I thought that meant I would have some protection as they would have to raise the rates for everyone in a Plan G Plan. Wrong.  When I checked it was apparent that the Company had closed my "plan" to new business and was opening up other subsidiaries to offer new Plan G policies. When I questioned this with the TDI this is their response. 

"We understand the strategy that some companies use of closing Medicare Supplement blocks and creating an affiliate to sell new Medicare Supplement policies.  Nothing in regulation prevents this practice since the newly created affiliate is a separate legal entity.  While a healthy individual could of course apply for a new contract with a lower premium, we of course understand your point that policyholders not able to pass underwriting are essentially stuck in the closed block, although there may be other alternatives such as a Medicare Advantage plan" 

I do not want to have to change to an advantage plan. I think not informing in their advertising and their policies that they reserve the right to do what they are doing and informing those that select their plans that it could result in an artificial escalation in their premiums over the course of the policy might invalidate their benefit to a guarantee of renewal is a material misrepresentation of the policy. 

I would note that under the Texas regulations, there is a right of guaranteed issuance (with no medical questions, if a Medicare supplemental policy is cancelled due to this sort of  misbehavior but there are some conditions and one is based on your age of eligibility for Medicare (e.g. if before 2020) then you are guaranteed to only be able to replace a Plan G with certain Non-Plan G types. Closest is a Plan F.  Maybe this was why the Plan F was discontinued by many Insurers...  I wanted to switch to AARP Supplement and applied and the agent said I could be eligible for guaranteed issue, but I think he misunderstood the criteria (or maybe I misunderstood what he was saying).     

[GailL1]

@MarcsyPE 

Just a few things to clear up in your post -

Any insurance company of whatever type is allowed to “close book” on a policy that is causing a bleed of funds from not just them but also others who are within this block of insured.  With that said, for Medigap policies, one should always be suspicious of premiums that seem to be far below the norm at the initial enrollment period.  Some companies are notorious for closing book on some policies or switching them over to a subsidiary company which they own.  Others rarely do it so if they have a book of business that is having a bleed problem, they will just increase the premium thus causing the same thing to happen without closing book on that group - that is to say, the premiums rise so much so that it is a detriment to anybody wanting to enroll.  

Federal law does not guarantee the sale of any Medigap plan to those who are LESS THAN 65 years old, meaning those who get Medicare based on a government approved disability and get SSDI.  States can decide if they want to open up any part of Medigap coverage to this group.  Some state don’t open up any Medigap plans to the disabled, some states open them all up to the disabled, but most state restrict this group to specific plans like Plan A or Plan B.  Here again premiums get so high because of the high health needs of this populace that it discourages others who might be healthier from buying in to those Medigap plans.  That’s a roundabout way of closing book with no effort from the insurer.

@MarcsyPE said  - “ Maybe this was why the Plan F was discontinued by many Insurers.“. 

Insurers DID NOT close Medigap Plan F - the Government closed it in 2020.  They closed others back in 2010 too.  The Government or the program of Medicare closed these Medigap plans to new participants to also stop the bleed.  They wanted new Medicare beneficiaries to have some skin in the game so to speak, to discourage overuse since at the time Plan F was the most popular plan because it provided NO out of pocket cost to the beneficiaries selecting it.  Pretty much the same for Plan C too which was also closed in 2020.  Now that these plans are no longer available and thus have NO new and probably healthier beneficiaries being added - the holders of Plan F are getting higher and higher premium increases and will continue to get them.  The plans that the program of Medicare closed back in 2010 were even more lucrative in benefits and it happened the same with them.  

You cannot get a Plan F anymore or even a Plan F High Deductible unless you were eligible for it before Janualry 01, 2020.  

In those states who have passed extended guaranteed issue periods, the premiums are very high for all plans and I am sure you understand why.  I can give examples - N.Y. is one.

You maybe able to pass underwriting if you are healthy or they may charge you more in premiums if there is just a bit wrong but they can also refuse you - so don’t cancel what you have now until you have another policy in hand even if you have to pay for (2) policies for a month.  

Medigap plans will continue to get more and more expensive in premiums - healthcare cost aren’t coming down.  The more skin in the game you have, the more reasonable the premiums like a Plan G - High Deductible plan - the premium are very reasonable, the 2024 Deductible is $ 2800 and once you meet that annual limit the plan acts just like a regular Plan G.  The deductible rises a bit each year.

Part B premiums are also gonna keep going up too.  Same reason - healthcare cost go up and people are using the Part B benefit for which we, beneficiaries, pay 25% of the cost (or more if you are a higher income beneficiary) of the program in our premiums and the government picks up the other 75% via my and your taxes.  We also subsidize seniors with low income and assets their Part B premiums via our tax dollars and perhaps other cost too depending on the Medicare Savings Program they qualify for.

Medigap plans are NOT health insurance, they are financial protection insurance based on the health of beneficiaries.  The reason why Medicare Advantage (MA) plans came about is because not all beneficiaries can afford or want a Medigap plan.  

My mother died in 2015 and she had a plan that was closed to new beneficiaries in 2010 - a very benefit rich plan - at the time she died, her premiums were over $ 350 per month and on their way to close to $ 400 a month.  She was 89.  I don’t remember how this plan was rated - community rated or age rated.

[ef2327]

I have precisely the same question. Normally the mailing was sent by now, with the rates for the following year, for my UHC supplemental plan. Please advise. I am not* on any AdvantagePlan, nor would I ever be. Thank you. 

[MarkH983192]

Unfortunately I have not gotten anywhere with UHC. They would tell me on the phone my new 2024 supplement rate but I wanted to see a formal UHC document defining the new 2024 supplement insurance rates. Does AARP have any suggestions? 

[ef2327]

Thank you Mark. I will try and call them myself tomorrow.

[MarkH983192]

You are very welcome. If you are successful, please provide us with an update.

[mmarione]

UHC Has my doctors as in network on their network page. They are billing me as out of network.I have contacted UHC over 5 times to have this 

corrected. They are not responsive at all. I am going to have to appeal to their people. I feel very badly for people would choose this health plan through the representation of AARP

[cat0w · Accepted solution]

@MarkH983192 

Where are you located? Your location may help in finding the rates for that area.

[MarkH983192]

I am located in Wisconsin. I was hoping UHC just had a document with the 2024 rates. On my UHC account web page, the Part D section had a specific link showing the new 2024 rate (which increased quite a bit) but nothing for the supplement insurance for 2024.