MEDIGAP Premiums Going up in 2025

[GailL1]

Medigap Insurance coverage (Medicare Supplemental Insurance) is optional extra coverage that pays some or all of your Traditional Medicare out of pocket cost.

Many, maybe most or all, insurers are adjusting their Medigap premiums in 2025 - 

This isn’t unique to UHC.  

If you can shop around, do so - but that means that either you live in a state that has expanded their guaranteed issue rights or you can pass underwriting.  Underwriting rules are based on the insurer - strict or more lenient - an independent  Medicare Insurance broker would be knowledgeable about this for the insurers they represent.  

In many states, the respective dept of insurance has good info for the beneficiary consumer on Medigap plans.  Like this one from the State of Nevada.

Nevada DOI.gov - 2025 MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE PREMIUM COMPARISON GUIDE 

General knowledge of all of the different Medigap plans is a MUST before making the decision about which to pick.  Especially important if you live in a state that does not allow any switching plans without underwriting.  

In general, your premiums are lower if you take on more risk for yourself.  

KFF.org -10/18/2024 - Key Facts About Medigap Enrollment and Premiums for Medicare Beneficiaries 

from the link ~ [excerpts] 

Health insurance through Medicare provides important financial protections for 67 million Americans. However, people with Medicare can face substantial cost-sharing requirements for Medicare-covered services, and unlike most health insurance policies, Medicare has no limit on out-of-pocket spending. Many Medicare beneficiaries have modest incomes and little savings to draw on to pay for expensive medical care, and medical debt is a concern for more than one in five (22%) older adults. In light of these facts, the Medicare supplement insurance market, also known as Medigap, plays a key role in helping beneficiaries afford medical care by limiting their exposure to catastrophic out-of-pocket medical costs.

. . . . Premiums Vary Across Medigap Policies

States establish certain rules for Medigap insurers, including how to set premiums. Premiums may be based on factors such as a policyholder’s age, smoking status, gender, and residential area, even during open enrollment and guaranteed issue periods.

Premium costs are one of the primary concerns for people with Medigap. KFF focus groups indicate that while most beneficiaries with Medigap are satisfied with their coverage and like many of its elements, including coverage of most or all of Medicare’s cost-sharing requirements, comprehensiveness of their coverage, control over their health care, and ability to see any provider they want (by virtue of being in traditional Medicare rather than Medicare Advantage), some participants noted their premiums were expensive or cost more than they would like.

… . .  Average Medigap Premiums Among Current Policyholders

The average monthly Medigap premium across all current Medigap policyholders (including people under 65, people who smoke tobacco, and people who are in a high deductible or SELECT plan) was $217, ranging from $191 in Alaska to $267 in New York in 2023

.. . . . Differences in average premiums across states can be due to several factors, including Medigap rating requirements, guaranteed issue requirements, the number of Medicare beneficiaries, the characteristics of the Medicare population, Medicare Advantage penetration, urbanicity of the county, and health care cost and usage patterns. 

more info at the KFF.org link above.

[roberte127682]

AARP gets $$$$$ from United Healthcare.  They should be ADVOCATING on behalf of their membership.  They should pressure UHC to allow plan F members to transfer to plan G or N WITHOUT MEDICAL UNDERWRITING.  They are by design keeping members with “pre existing medical conditions” TRAPPED in plan F.  

[GailL1]

@roberte127682 

That is based on state law - states have the right to expand guaranteed issue rights to cover picking up or changing to another Medigap plan after the initial enrollment period and add any stipulations they want in the who, what, when and where arena.

Some states already have it - does yours?  You need to reference your state’s Dept of Insurance to get any particular specifics for each state - 

See the Figure 2 color coded map at this link to identify which states have [any] of these added consumer protections,

KFF.org 10/18/2024 - Medigap May Be Elusive for Medicare Beneficiaries with Pre-Existing Conditions 

Or you can talk to SHIP in your state or your can contact an independent Medicare Broker in your area for your state specifics.  

I will also give you a hint here - if a state has decided to do this and since this action adds risks to the plans (adds people that may be older and/or sicker), then premiums are usually higher in these state.

In fact the WHOLE KFF.org article is great if you want to learn all about Medigap coverage, pricing and state laws.  This should cover all the states unless one or more of them have changed their laws in 2025.

[SpringIsHereVA]

Yes Robert @roberte127682 , they should be advocating!!! Take care, Nicole  👵

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➡️[*** Robert wrote on Friday 5/2/25: AARP gets $$$$$ from United Healthcare.  They should be ADVOCATING on behalf of their membership.  They should pressure UHC to allow plan F members to transfer to plan G or N WITHOUT MEDICAL UNDERWRITING.  They are by design keeping members with “pre existing medical conditions” TRAPPED in plan F.  ***]

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[GailL1]

Advocating for what?  That a particular state changes their law cause that is where that authority lies with Medigap plans.

A state can expand the guaranteed issue rights of Medigap plans by their law making - in fact they can decide all that matters - the who, what, when and where.  

See the map link that I gave @roberte127682 in my reply to him for how the various states had determined this for their state beneficiaries.