United Health Raising Rates Mid Year

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@glow141 wrote:

Except during open enrollment (and California "birthday rule") if you change medigap plans they can evaluate you based on your medical history and refuse your application.  

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There is no nationwide open enrollment period for supplements.  Everybody can get a supplement without medical underwriting when they're first eligible for Medicare, but after that, it depends on what state someone is in.  In a few states, there are guaranteed issue periods (like California's birthday rule or New York's year-round guaranteed-issue period, among others) during which a person can change Medigap supplements, but in a majority of states, there is no general guaranteed- issue period or "open enrollment" period that allows anyone to switch supplements without undergoing medical underwriting.

If you're thinking of the "open enrollment" period at the end of every year, it has nothing to do with supplements.  

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@glow141 wrote:

Apparently we get a "discount" upon initial enrollemnt which DECREASES 3% each year for being a loyal customer. This in essence a 3% increase on every anniversary date.  

Actually, no it's not.  A 3% decrease in a discount is not equal to a 3% increase in the premium on which the discount is applied.  (And for the record, the discount is decreased by 3 percentage points, not 3%--they're not the same thing.) 

Basically, the increase due to the declining discount will start at 5% and will go down until a person reaches the age where the discount zeroes out (probably around age 81), and during that time the increase due to the declining discount will never be below 3%.

I posted about this a couple of months ago, showing how the math works:

community.aarp.org/t5/Medicare-Insurance/Declining-discount-of-3-on-supplements-actually-equals-5/m-p/2611018 

📎@TRL1111 , my comment to Lorraine @LorraineC792260 had ZERO to do with the "label" of LOW INCOME. Our discussion was about increasing rates mid year./lol 🤣😂

➡️[*** YOU SAID: Fixed income isn't necessarily low income. A retiree with a pension or an annuity that pays $200,000 a year has a fixed income--but it's not a low income. A retiree whose retirement is funded by withdrawals from a 401k or IRA doesn't have a fixed income--and whether he's low income or high income would depend on the amount of the 401k or IRA he's withdrawing from.

@MarkH983192 

I am curious as to what you think AARP can do to stop or slow premium increases since these are based on things outside of their control like USAGE, medical inflation, your specific state laws and how these affect premiums or in the case of AARP UHC Medigap the declining discount.

The question to AARP in this matter is even broader - WHAT CAN AARP DO ABOUT USAGE and MEDICAL INFLATION for the Medicare beneficiary group as a whole?  

As Medicare expands it’s coverage of mammoth diseases like Alzheimer’, as Traditional Medicare fails to rein in excessive medical use like where a service is rendered or fails to enforce or adopt any managed care philosophies, then we are all gonna be paying more for anything connected to Medicare - Part A, Part B, Part C, Part D and Medigap - depending upon one’s choices.  

I spoke to the son of a 85 year old yesterday - Nebraska - he was trying to find out what his mom could do about her medigap premiums - Plan F - which is NOT an AARP UHC plan - her current premiums are a few dollars shy of $ 700 a month.  

Everything is working against her -

• she is in an ATTAINED AGE rated policy,
• the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under their authority has CLOSED BOOK on Plan F so it is no longer sold to new beneficiaries thus those in her group are getting older and older, perhaps sicker and sicker.
• and he is doubtful that his Mom can pass underwriting.  

BUT she may have to try because at her current rate of which will continue to go up, AARP UHC maybe a good option for her since it is usually community rated which may bring down her premiums IF she can pass underwriting, even allowing for perhaps some underwriting up-cost.

On the other hand, to whatever plan she can switch to, if at all possible, to reduce her premiums, she will bring her age and her health condition to the new policy - and then those in this new policy will have to allow for her, perhaps raising their premiums since her useage might be great.  

She may be able to go to a High Deductible Plan F - with a 2025 deductible of $ 2870 - under some insurer that offers if.  The jury is still out but her son is trying to find out all her options from the Nebraska SHIP and local independent Medigap insurance brokers.

I really would like to know how those here with a AARP/UHC Medigap policy that is increasing in premiums thinks AARP can control their premiums?  Maybe put out a bulletin - “DO NOT USE MEDICARE so that you do NOT use your AARP/UHC medigap - to save premium cost.  That will go over like a lead ballon.