AARP Medicare Supplement (Medigap) thru UHC

[StephenF565273]

This plan offers good insurance, but we were just notified that our rates are going to go up 15.4% year-over-year!  I guess I am wondering if anyone at AARP has checked into this, and if so, do they still believe this is a good deal.  Or should we be looking to move away from UHC?

[AARPConsumerCare]

@StephenF565273

We're sorry to hear you’re having trouble with UnitedHealthcare. We would like the chance to help as soon as possible. Please visit https://help.aarp.org/s/article/contact-aarp to chat, text, or speak with a representative who can get you in touch with our Member Relations team. Thanks!  Jodee R. 

[GailL1]

AARP doesn’t have anything to do with the setting of premiums for UHC Medigap plans.  Read the disclosure.  

Medigap plans are GAP insurance that is offered by private companies to protect you financially from your out of pocket cost under Original Medicare.

Your increase could be a total of several different things - 

• could be you are losing some of your premium discounts that AARP UHC Medigap plans offer - they decline over time.
• could be the Medicare medical cost in the area where you live went up a lot 
• if your plan offers any extra benefits not described in federal law, then it could be some of those increased in price.
• could be that your particular policy is rated by age rather than community rated and you got older.

Read your policy and it should describe premium increases.  MediGAP coverage will always go up - no matter the plan or the insurer.

AARP only makes royalties off UHC being able to use their name on the MediGAP policy so I think any real savings for you would be possibly in the form or keeping down your membership cost to AARP OR gaining funds for their overall work for helping those 50 and over with all kinds of stuff.

[quidduo]

You can thank joe biden for that. Promised not to cut medicare but did it this year and about to finalize another cut for 2025. I keep getting these letters from AARP with ballots to contact congress about Trump cutting Medicare, when all the time biden is cutting it. This time it is Medicare Advantage Plan cuts. MA is the part 'C' of Medicare and 33 million Americans have Medicare part C. Part C has become quite popular as it covers Part A, B, C, D and some have dental, and eye coverage. It makes me wonder why AARP reports nothing on these cuts by biden yet claims Trump is the one that wants to cut Medicare. I am about ready to discontinue my membership. It appears AARP may be a front for the left like most other outlets!

[DavidB82]

This is so incredibly off point and filled with errors, and it's a disservice to other AARP members to provide this kind of false information while they make decisions about their healthcare coverage. First, the president, former president, or Congress literally has nothing to do with any Medicare cost changes year to year. Those are handled by CMS, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services. Secondly, using a broad brush to paint this as "Medicare" cutting is completely false. What you are alluding to is the amount CMS is giving private insurance companies for each member to use towards their health claims and expenditures. That number does not in any way shape or form cut the benefits each Medicare Advantage plan member receives. That is set by law to at minimum or better cover what Original Medicare must do.

Medicare Supplements are in no way connected to Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage. They are pure insurance products that are set by the department of insurance for each individual state, which is why you are seeing different percentage increases for different states. That increase is determined by many factors; inflation, members lost/gained, claims paid out, etc. Supplements are indemnity policies that pay your original Medicare bills for you in exchange for paying a premium that is determined by your age, gender, location, and underwriting if applicable. All companies have an adjusting rate each year based on these factors, so it is not just United Healthcare supplements, and they are ALL going up in 2024.

[GailL1]

@quidduo 

A cut is also the reduction in payments from the source to the providers - be that to the insurers for Medicare Advantage plans or directly to the Providers under the Original Medicare Program.  

If a beneficiary is getting the benefit - somebody has to pay for it - so yes, it does seem that the more the government thinks it is saving - the more the beneficiary is gonna have to pay one way or the other to pick up the slack.

There is no free-ride. The ones that can pay, always pay.