Requesting refund for UHC Plan G/G+ overcharge

[bellyqueen]

I enrolled in UHC's Plan G here in North Carolina in January 2021; monthly premiums began at $154. In October 2025 I went to the UHC website and discovered that my Plan G — with monthly premiums now $249 — had morphed into Plan G+ and included wellness perks I'd never use.

Speaking to a UHC agent for another round of medical underwriting, I downgraded my plan from Plan G+ back to Plan G, monthly premiums decreasing by $75. The agent casually mentioned that Plan G+ had been offered for about a year.

I never received any notice from UHC that my Plan G had morphed to G+, never received the option to forego those extra wellness perks, never consented to the higher monthly premiums funding those extra perks.

The insurance coverage and benefits for my 2021 Plan G — which later morphed without my knowledge or consent into Plan G+ — are exactly the same as the insurance coverage and benefits for my 2025 Plan G. In 2021, the Plan G wellness perks were called "Wellness Extras" and now in 2026, the Plan G perks are called "Member Discounts." These two sets of perks are exactly the same — "access to an exclusive collection of discounts on hundreds of products and services."

The current Plan G+ perks are called "Wellness Extras" and include gym membership and discounts on vision, hearing, and dental services plus the 24/7 nurse line.

On February 18 I spoke with CJ at UnitedHealthcare customer service. I asked why UHC did not notify me that Plan G had morphed to Plan G+ and that a less expensive version of Plan G was available. He said that, because this downgraded version was offered only in a limited number of states, they couldn’t make a global announcement.

Really? As if UnitedHealthcare, one of about 2700 subsidiaries of UnitedHealth Group, the world's seventh largest corporation by revenue, couldn’t afford the software to sort their customers' addresses by state.

Given that my Plan G likely morphed into Plan G+ in the summer (say August) of 2023, and given the difference in monthly premiums between then and late 2025 when I reclaimed Plan G status, UHC overcharged me by more than $1000.

When I asked for a refund, CJ said many customers have been asking for the same, but “we don’t do refunds.”

Yes, I'd really like a refund. Any tips on how to get one?

[CBtoo]

Likely the only way to get a refund is if someone starts and wins a class action suit (or an individual lawsuit).

Originally ALL G plans had the gym, etc. "alleged free extras". Then they introduced the "stripped down version" and changed the name. They did this to compete better with the lower cost plans other companies offered that had no (alleged) "free extras" (which clearly aren't free as the version that doesn't have them is, as you note, significantly cheaper). The two versions of the plans are offered by different subsidiaries so that you are forced to undergo medical underwriting in the states that don't have a birthday rule or equivalent (where you can change plans without doing medical underwriting) to switch.

The other thing they did was switch the discount people get from 10 years to 15 years (all that does is drive the costs for the base rate that they figure the discount from).

[EileenW680950]

This happened to my brother with Plan N.  He has been a AARP UHC member since 2019.  He signed up for Plan N in 2019.  There were no options given to him regarding a 'Plan N with Wellness' vs a 'plain' Plan N.  Since 2019, his member ID cards showed Plan N...not Plan N with Wellness.  When his monthly premium grew to $240/mo in 2025, he researched other insurance companies.  To his surprise, he stumbled upon an AARP UHC Plan N for $166/mo !!  After a lengthy phone call with UHC, he was told his existing Plan N was the 'Plan N with Wellness' plan.  He was shocked.  He never heard of this specific plan.  Were there two Plan N options back in 2019 when he first enrolled?  If so, why didn't the UHC representative give him an option for a Plan N with or without Wellness?  Or, did 'Plan N with Wellness' become an official plan after 2019?  If 'Plan N with Wellness' is a newly named plan after 2019, then basically UHC moved existing Plan N members into a new contracted plan without notifying them..the least of which was the name change.  And, the Member ID cards should have identified this specific plan name.  At the very least, the members should have been notified of this action via a letter identifying the new plan name.   This should be considered for a class action suit.  UHC failed to communicate via a letter, via the Member ID card and via other Insurance coverage documents on the actual Plan N that the member is covered under. 

[bellyqueen]

What are you and your brother thinking about this situation now? Any thoughts about investigating a class action suit?

I just received the UHC notice of rate increase on my Plan G. Monthly fees increase by 35% ($60) starting in November. Then the fees will be back nearly to what I was paying for Plan G+.

This raise in rates makes the idea of recapturing the $1000+ UHC took in the many months I was paying, unknowingly, for the morph from my Plan G to G+.

[GailL1]

@bellyqueen 

Isn’t that the annual increase?  What did the letter say? If it is the annual increase then check with your state’s Dept of Insurance.  They are the ones that approved the rate increase.

Healthcare cost have risen drastically the last couple of years - for all plans.

[GailL1]

The way I am understanding it is that (1) the Wellness plans were not offered everywhere.  (2)  the plans contract documents should have shown the Wellness benefits if they were included (3) if the Medigap plan had the special dental/vision - it was the Wellness type plan because those benefits are not offered in a regular Medigap plan.

I believe that is how it worked in 2019 - I do not know if the actual card for the Wellness version showed dental/vision on it. But that would have been a positive indication if it did.

Edited to add:  then and now, there is a disclosure stipulating that the since the Wellness coverage is not actually part of the plan, rather they are, Extra - that these benefits can be terminated at any time.

[TRL1111]

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@GailL1 wrote:

The way I am understanding it is that (1) the Wellness plans were not offered everywhere.

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Renew Active is UHC's gym benefit.  A couple of years ago I called Renew Active and was asking some general questions and the CSR wanted specific information but I didn't want to give it, so I threw out a zip code that isn't mine but I know exists--10003.  The CSR snapped back that said Renew Active wasn't available in that zip code.  Oops!

But it told me that Renew Active wasn't available everywhere, which hadn't occurred to me.  (But all of the plans in zip code 10003 currently shown on AARP/UHC's website include wellness extras.)

Also a couple of years ago I was helping a friend of mine who has had an AARP/UHC Plan F since 2012.  He didn't know anything about a gym benefit, but when I logged in to his UHC account, there was a place to check on Renew Active so I clicked on that and it gave me a Renew Active code for him, which we used to get him a YMCA membership.

I have Plan G with wellness extras.  I signed up for it back when they offered both flavors:  a Plan G and a Plan G with wellness extras.  My card doesn't say anything about any "extras."

[GailL1]

@TRL1111 

EDITED TO ADD:  The Rule seems to be NOW that Wellness benefits are free (no charge)  to members of AARP but they are plans with them included are only offered in some states and in some plans like G / N - think there was another.

I think UHC is very poor at explaining things to their customers - I always think - yea, that’s clear as mud.

Somehow it seems to me that these wellness benefits (or some of them) are used as (AARP) member benefits rather than supplemental benefits - The disclosures all reference them as “no cost to member - benefits”  once registered for a Medicare Supplemental thru AARP/UHC.

Still shows that you have to be a member to get a AARP/UHC supplement but I think UHC does sell supplementals to those outside of AARP membership now - but I do not know for sure.

So did your friend and you have all of the wellness benefits or just some of them? Like the gym membership.

What was shown in your Medigap contract with UHC?  

Do your also have dental and visions and the other wellness benefits?

Note this:

United Healthcare - Medicare  

from the link ~ 

While Medicare and Medicare Supplement plans do not cover routine vision, dental, hearing or prescription drugs, some Medicare Supplement plans offer Wellness extras4 — and discounts and additional services to help with these costs.

Look at the footnote 4 - it says:

4 These offers are only available to insured members covered under an AARP Medicare Supplement Plan from UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company. These are additional insured member services apart from the AARP Medicare Supplement Plan benefits, are NOT INSURANCE PROGRAMS, are subject to geographical availability and may be discontinued at any time. Certain offerings are provided by third parties not affiliated with UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company. None of these services are a substitute for the advice of a doctor or should be used for emergency or urgent care needs. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Then the new pages are showing that these are added (no cost) to members.

AARP Medicare Supplemental  

WELLNESS EXTRAS

Gym membership, discounts and more

Once you're enrolled in an AARP® Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan from UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (UnitedHealthcare), you'll get insured member wellness extra discounts and services.1

Footnote 1 says :

1 These offers are available at no additional cost to you and are only available to insured members covered under an AARP Medicare Supplement Plan from UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company. These are additional insured member services apart from the AARP Medicare Supplement Plan benefits, are NOT INSURANCE PROGRAMS, are subject to geographical availability and may be discontinued at any time.

[TRL1111]

I think I'm gonna have to ask you to restate your question.

My Plan G with wellness extras and my friend's Plan F (with no indication in the name of wellness extras) have the same benefits that are not required to be part of the Medigap plan--Renew Active, hearing and vision discount, whatever else.

It sounds like you're thinking the wellness benefits are available to all members of AARP?  For one, that wouldn't make sense.  But for another, when I go to the Renew Active gym finder, there's a dropdown menu for the type of plan you have, and AARP Member is not one of them.  And there are different networks for Advantage plans and for Medigap supplements, and within Advantage plans, the network depends on what state your Advantage plan was issued in.

[GailL1]

@TRL1111 

The way I am understanding these Wellness Medigap plan now is that:

1.  They are only available in specific plans in some areas.

2.  They are available at no added cost because of the requirement that one’s membership in the AARP is a condition of having one.

3.  They are extra benefits for the Medigap plans they accompany and can be cancelled at anytime - without notice, I believe.

Does this mean one has to stay a member of AARP in order to partake of these Wellness benefits - ?  but it seems so now.

IOW, UHC is the insurance company sponsoring these Medigap plans that have these benefits, and they make these royalty payments to AARP for this arrangement.  

But they are also pulling these Wellness benefits from those that the AARP Service, Inc. has already negotiated for members.  Thus you have to STAY a member to keep them.

Sounds to me like the these Wellness benefits are now more reciprocal to all parties - The beneficiary, the Insurer of the Medigap plan and to AARP.

Disclosures are very carefully worded - I think this might be a change in the negotiations between the two a few years back (2024)  but not for sure.

Substack.com - Healthcare Uncovered: Article by Wendell Potter - UnitedHealth and AARP Shake Hands o... 

Oh, Gawd . . look at me sharing such article!  Maybe I am getting to be senile.  🤪

[TRL1111]

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@GailL1 wrote:

But they are also pulling these Wellness benefits from those that the AARP Service, Inc. has already negotiated for members.  Thus you have to STAY a member to keep them.

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By "pulling," do you mean UHC is cancelling supplement holders' entitlement to wellness extras like Renew Active and dental/vision/hearing benefits?

If so, where are you getting that?  Your first sentence used the word "now"--are you saying there's been some sort of change?