United Healthcare AARP Prescription Plan 130% increase

[GiacomoM491699]

Our AARP Medicare Rx Walgreens from United Health Care (PDP) went from $35.20 to $80.40 in January 2024 - a 130% increase!!!

We only saw the increase when the credit card was charged in January 2024. Their notification was an email that said "your 2024 Annual Notice of Changes is ready for you to review" with no indication on the email of a significant premium change.

We believe this is clearly insufficient notice and misleading.

Our attempt to terminate the plan or reduce the charge was unsuccessful. We also contacted Medicare and found that there is nothing that can be done.

Our interaction with customer care at United Healthcare was very frustrating. We were sent around 5-6 departments and spent hours on the phone on this issue.

I realize now that Medicare regulations are very favorable to insurance companies and provide very little protection for the consumer.

I expect AARP to sponsor companies that provide better transparency and information to their members. And I ask AARP to be more demanding towards United Health Care, as the service they are providing us is clearly not serving the interest of the members and their communication is insufficient if not quite deceiving.

If others have experienced the same, please respond/comment on this (you can just say "same here" or "agree", so AARP can hear us.

[MarkP478229]

AARP is fighting for YOU. 

[gba1958]

Same here!

[KellyO21422]

I also paid the high premium and was told no co-pays and prescriptions, and no cost or generic. That was a lie.

[kathleeno616576]

 Wait until you see the 2025 premium Rx increase (Walgreens plan)! Just read latest United email, and after some digging, found the info on plan changes for 2025. My premium is going up to $103 a month; currently $68 after being $38 in the beginning of 2024. This percentage increase is unreal as I still have a yearly deductible to meet and I don't take alot of meds. I am at the point of cancelling my AARP membership because I do not see the value anymore when they attach their name to such thievery!

[SallyS241271]

I saw my drug plan go from $34 in ‘23 to $54 in ‘24 and now it is projected at $89 for ‘25. I take zero medications. I will definitely be ditching this company. They also hold my Plan G and will be more expensive than most companies. Sorry AARP this is not the best choice for  consumers. 

[GailL1]

@SallyS241271 

A beneficiary should not pick their Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) based on the price of the premiums or the insurer sponsor of the plan.  A beneficiary picks their Medicare Part D PDP based on their medication needs and the plans available to them in their geographical area.

Each plan develops their own formulary based on the rules which CMS has set on what has to be covered in these prescription drug plans.

Plan formularies must include drug classes covering all disease states, and a minimum of two chemically distinct drugs in each class. Part D plans are required to cover all drugs in six “protected” classes: immunosuppressants, antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, antiretrovirals, and antineoplastics.

This criteria as well as the extent to which methods are utilized by the plan sponsor to control cost determine the premiums.  Factors used to control are applying a deductible or not - and CMS determines the deductible annually, pre approvals necessity on some drugs, quantity limits on some drugs and the utilization of step therapy in the plan.

Part D PDP are also divided into basic and enhanced - and these are also how the plans are priced - because the enhanced does cover more perhaps with less constraints per certain medication.  

This is all done by georgraphical area since this matters in pricing - all health care cost are local.  

If a beneficiary takes no meds, or maybe only a generic or two, they can actually just get the lowest to no cost plan and even buy their monthly meds out of pocket from some drug discounter and no use their plan at all.  They should at least sign up for the lowest cost or no cost plan available to them to avoid the late sign up penalty assessed by the government and which stays with the beneficiary forever.

This year, insurer sponsors are having to redo many of their plans because of the extent to which the plan design was changed by legislation to help the many who are talking higher cost drugs and limit the out of pocket in 2025 to $ 2000.  

All beneficiaries need to review their Medicare free-standing drug plans  or their Medicare Advantage plans this year during annual enrollment  to make sure their needs are covered.  They should do this every year cause plans do change.

Medigap plans like your Plan G are NOT medical insurance - they are financial protection insurance linked to Traditional Medicare so as to assure a beneficiary that they do not experience a financial catastrophe due to a medical problem.  A beneficiary picks the level of coverage they want under a Medigap plan - which are federally legislated in design.  

[PaulE709499]

I also think the $2000 max part D in 2026 will increase premiums tremendously  going forward. Somebody has to pay for those costs above $2000- it will be everyone.

[JohnE641806]

After seeing the new plans from United for 2025, I too am considering dropping my AARP membership. It seems that AARP has lost it's way, and now their main objective is to help promote a scam on seniors. Why would AARP endorse such poor healthcare plans?

[STLmember]

In my opinion, AARP is on the side of the current administration, which is on the side of giant companies - like insurance or big pharma companies (which command huge profits, even on cheap drugs).  BTW:  Wouldn't you love to see the healthcare insurance options available to members of Congress? I sure would.

[PaulE709499]

I do not follow what AARP endorses. See Genenworth LTC.

[WalterF955441]

 I know what you mean about feeling helpless when you're locked into an AARP UHC Prescription Plan!  I'm locked into the AARP Medicare Rx Preferred Plan, which was supposed to be the best coverage they offer.  I even selected a plan with the best rates for Walgreens, the dominant pharmacy chain where I live in Colorado.  So far, through the first six months of this year, I am paying 91% of my Total Prescription Costs and my expensive AARP Medicare Rx Preferred Plan for Walgreens has paid 9%.  I'm not on any super-expensive cancer drugs, or taking any highly other super-expensive drugs that make my situation unique.

Of course, I called AARP/UHC to try to rectify this "mistake" and I learned, after going over each drug I take with Customer Service, that this was no mistake.  I'm paying AARP/UHC a high premium every month for the privilege of paying 91% of my Total Prescription costs.  Another way of putting it is that I'm paying 10X more for my prescriptions that my AARP/UHC Rx insurance does!  I'm not alone, either.  The Customer Service Representative I spoke with told me that a lot of people who have AARP Medicare Rx Preferred with UHC are irate over how much they're having to personally cover for prescriptions.

If I can't trust AARP as a senior choosing Supplemental Medicare Insurance for Prescriptions, then who can I trust?  If you're reading this, don't make the mistake that I did and automatically renew your AARP Prescription Drug Plans every year!  Take advantage of your town, county, or state Medicare Advisors for Seniors.  They will go over the coverage of your current plan by looking at the costs and insurance coverage for every single prescription you take and recommend the best available Supplemental Plan for Prescriptions for you.  

[GailL1]

Did you check to see how much your plan actually changed with the increase in premium - 

Beneficiaries are urged to review their plans every year during open enrollment to make sure that the plan is still the best for them and their needs.

I can only guess but perhaps you opted for a paperless coverage - where you go online to review any changes or receive any notices - liken this to how some utilities go paperless.

There was a rash of news about 2024 Part D premiums escalating because of law changes - specifically because of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Medicare Prescription Drug program changes within it.

Medicare Part D coverage plans are by law required to give more so with giving more, they cost more.  In 2025 the amount of premium increases is gonna be restricted to a certain % therefore insurers are making adjustments for that as well as all the new coverages that is coming into play.,

CNBC 11/21/2023 - Retirees face significantly higher Medicare Part D prescription drug premiums in 2...

KFF.org 04/20/2023 - Changes to Medicare Part D in 2024 and 2025 Under the Inflation Reduction Act a...

AARP.org - 10/09/2023 - CMS Projects 2024 Part D Prescription Drug Premiums

DO start reviewing your plan every year during open enrollment - that’s why we have an open enrollment period for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug plans either standalone or as combined in a MAPD.

OpenEnrollment is October 15 - December 07 and policies go into effect on Jan 01.

[GiacomoM491699]

@GailL1 thanks for your comments.
Yes, I opted for paperless coverage, which does not mean I opted for more obscure communications. The email of paperless coverage could very well highlight the content of the communication, like your premium has changed/increased, while it just says: there is a new document for you to review on our website, under the third level of the account menu ....
Paperless is a cost advantage for the insurance company and not a license to limit, obscure or deflect information.

I believe AARP should advocate for clearer and more transparent information and communication from the services they sponsor. I feel misled by how the significant increase was not properly communicated.

[WalterF955441]

  Shame on AARP for lending their name and, I'm sure, profiting from this AARP United Healthcare Medicare Rx Preferred Plan that uses their name.  I have what is supposedly their very best plan and I pay 91% of my total subscription prices at Walgreens out-of-pocket.  And I have the Walgreens Plan.  During Open Enrollment, I am looking at alternatives.  If there isn't anything better, I will literally save money by having no insurance coverage for prescriptions, as the premiums I pay are far more that the paltry 9% of total prescription costs that AARP UHC Medicare Rx Preferred pays this year BEFORE the price increase.

[PaulE709499]

I am not a fan of what AARP endorses. They provide some decent information but that's about it.