Household Discounts on Supplemental Medicare

[Packman]

My DW will be 65 next April (I am already 66) so we can get a multi household discount on a plan G supplement Medicare plan. My current insurer is Aetna and they offer a 7% discount. However, I've seen that UHC - AARP offers a 15% discount, per person. I got a quote from UHC and it only provided an 11% discount. I also talked to my state SHIP office and they warned me that UHC will not continue to discount our premium after a couple of years. Does anyone have any experience with these discounts? Are they just a one or two year deal? I can change plans if I want since I've already passes medical underwriting. We are planning to stay with a plan G, but would like to find the best deal we can with a common insurance company.

 

[PatrickA5]

I haven't signed up for Medicare yet, but have been looking into it.

I think UHC/AARP has a 10% multi-household discount. They also have an EFT (or annual pay) discount of $24 per year.

They also have an Enrollment Discount of up to 39%. It's a discount for enrolling early. The discount is decreased 3% each year (starting at age 69) until it disappears at age 80.

 

[MBSC]

However, I've seen that UHC - AARP offers a 15% discount, per person. I got a quote from UHC and it only provided an 11% discount. I also talked to my state SHIP office and they warned me that UHC will not continue to discount our premium after a couple of years.

See the two flyers below. Depending on the state and letter plan, UHC may offer one or both of the options. The best way to determine the exact discount is to go to UHC.com. After entering your birthdate, each plan should have a 'discounts available' link. In my state, the plans without gym membership are 15/10/45 and those with gym use the 7/39 method. Only the community-rating discount goes away over time.

15%/10%/45%: https://www.aarpsupplementalhealth....t/StatePlanVariations/SA25908ST_WB27538ST.pdf

7%/39%: https://www.aarpsupplementalhealth....t/StatePlanVariations/SA25873S4_SA25731ST.pdf

 

[PatrickA5]

See the two flyers below. Depending on the state and letter plan, UHC may offer one or both of the options. The best way to determine the exact discount is to go to UHC.com. After entering your birthdate, each plan should have a 'discounts available' link. In my state, the plans without gym membership are 15/10/45 and those with gym use the 7/39 method. Only the community-rating discount goes away over time.

15%/10%/45%: https://www.aarpsupplementalhealth....t/StatePlanVariations/SA25908ST_WB27538ST.pdf

7%/39%: https://www.aarpsupplementalhealth....t/StatePlanVariations/SA25873S4_SA25731ST.pdf

I guess these must be state specific. The first one above is better than I can get. The second one is worse. Interesting.

 

[harllee]

Remember that in most states you have to pass underwriting to be able to switch supplement plans.

 

[Pluperfect]

AARP/UHC's pricing drives me insane. In the two documents MSBC linked to, the discount for EFT is different. For one plan, the EFT discount is $4/month. For the other plan, the EFT discount is $2/month. I can almost believe there are underwriting or other reasons for the "enrollment discount" to be different, but the EFT discount? What reason in the world is there for the EFT discount to be different depending on the plan?

 

[CRLLS]

Each state has their own unique differences. I believe it is due to each state has their own rules and possibly premium oversight.

When I checked a month ago or so, AARP/UHC had 2 different Plan G choices in my area. One was the old, traditional ARRP one with their Renew Active health club membership and vision/dental discount plans; and the other was the more basic Plan G with no extras. The two varied prices of family discounts, the amount of annual age-related discount and even the number of years that discount was given.

What I am trying to say is that it is important to be sure that the info you are using is for your particular area and that info is current. IMO, Medicare is great and fairly easy when just discussing Parts A and Part D. Unfortunately, Parts C and D, and all the different supplement plans, insurers and local jurisdictions makes it difficult to discuss supplement pricing/ plan details in a forum like this. The Feds do control the minimum benefit for each Medigap plan. They do not control pricing and don't limit "extra" benefits.

 

[Scuba]

Remember that in most states you have to pass underwriting to be able to switch supplement plans.

This is what I was trying to ask about in a question I posted a couple of weeks ago. So if someone has a preexisting condition and signs up for traditional Medicare plus a supplemental policy in one state and then they relocate to a different state, they will have to go through medical underwriting? We aren’t 65 yet but since DH had a heart attack, does this make it more challenging for us to move to another state even though he is now in very good health?

 

[harllee]

This is what I was trying to ask about in a question I posted a couple of weeks ago. So if someone has a preexisting condition and signs up for traditional Medicare plus a supplemental policy in one state and then they relocate to a different state, they will have to go through medical underwriting? We aren’t 65 yet but since DH had a heart attack, does this make it more challenging for us to move to another state even though he is now in very good health?

If you have traditional Medicare and a supplement then it is my understanding that the supplement will follow you to your new state and will be effective in your new state if you move. The rules are different for Advantage plans and my be different for Part D prescription drug coverage.

 

[Scuba]

If you have traditional Medicare and a supplement then it is my understanding that the supplement will follow you to your new state and will be effective in your new state if you move. The rules are different for Advantage plans and my be different for Part D prescription drug coverage.

Thank you very much. This is reassuring.