UHC/AARP BIG new supplement discounts thumbs nose at prior enrollees (Medicare)

[jason94]

I've had AARP/UHC Medigap Plan N since soon after I turned 65 in 2019.  I decided to look at what it would cost if I was applying today (on the UHC sales website), and I was FLOORED by what I saw, in a way that makes me angry and full of ill will toward UHC, *and* toward AARP for endorsing it.  When I saw that the premium for someone turning 65 today was a good deal *lower* than what they started me at, I thought "what's going on?"  Then I looked further and found that the discount system has become MUCH more favorable toward new enrollees than it was toward us unfortunate souls that joined earlier.

When I joined, the "been this way 'forever', nicely predictable" system was that at age 65 you start out with a 36% discount from the community-wide premium, and then each year you lose 3 points of that discount, so that at age 66 your discount would be reduced to 33%, and thus your effective premium would go up.  And by age 77 the discount would be fully depleted.

Well, looking at the discount schedule a new 65 year old enrollee would get *today*, it starts at 45% (already a lot higher than 36%!), and then, starting at age 68 (instead of 66) goes down every year -- *but*, only by *2* points per year instead of 3!  Someone enrolling today would still have over 25% discount at age 77, when mine will already be totally gone!   Here I am paying an exorbitant premium, while a new enrollee will have a much lower one -- ongoing.  (To add a nice dash of insult to injury, for new enrollees the monthly EFT discount is now $4, instead of the $2 I get.)

I'm really disgusted by this bait-n-switch on the discount schedule.  So much for AARP/UHC's "commitment" to fairness and consistency, and "concern" about helping Seniors deal with the cost of living.

Here is a snip from a pdf on how the discount schedule works for someone enrolling *today* (I don't see a way to attach the full pdf).  Be sure to read the footnote:

  And again, look at how VERY much MORE generous the above, current, schedule is than the discount schedule from when I enrolled in March, 2019, and that I am STUCK with if I stay with AARP/UHC:

[DLH25]

Oh, great!  I just verified Jason94’s claim. So people who choose a UHC Medicare Supplement today are basically guaranteed a much slower yearly increase in net premium than us dupes who bought “the only plan endorsed by AARP” before?  I should kick myself for buying into your lies about AARP watching out for the financial well-being and fair treatment of seniors. In truth, it appears  the $$$ you earn for your endorsement of the UHC plan all you care about in reality.  IOW, the “endorsement” is meaningless. Unfortunately I probably wouldn’t qualify to switch to a different company’s supplement today, but I would have if I had known about this underhanded tactic a few years ago.   I used to defend AARP to those who berated it for what I thought were unfounded or unjustified claims. Thanks for nothing, AARP!  And thanks for nothing, UHC — you could have made an adjustment to allowed those who signed up for their supplements in the past to share in some of the more-favorable yearly-discount schedule that new customers (the only ones you and AARP apparently care about) will enjoy ongoing.