Regence or AARP/UHC Plan G

[tuffshed]

Howdy,
I need to select a Medigap plan in the next few weeks. I'm sure, so don't convince otherwise, that I'm going with a Plan G. There are two contenders for my business in Utah, Regence and AARP/UHC. They are both almost the same cost considering one has Silver+Fit that I would take advantage of, so how to choose. I believe both have fantastic representation in almost or all states and my insurance broker loves both of them so it comes down to what cost increases they "might" have in the future as I will have to stick with one of them for the long term.


Regence? AARP/UHC? Why?


Thanks, Mike

 

[CardsFan]

In Missouri, I will be able to change providers, during my anniversary period, as long as I stay in the same plan. No underwriting. So, my plan is to take the cheapest plan available every year.

In your case (Utah does not have this law as far as I can tell) I would look at the history of the two plans to look at increases. That said, all else being equal, I would pick the plan with the Silver+Fit, if you will use it.

Good luck.

 

[Ian S]

I would ask your broker to provide a comparison of premium increases over the years. Also might ask about community vs attained age vs issue age policies. The community rated AARP G plan that I have offered an initial discount which gradually disappears as you get older.

 

[tuffshed]

In your case (Utah does not have this law as far as I can tell) I would look at the history of the two plans to look at increases. That said, all else being equal, I would pick the plan with the Silver+Fit, if you will use it.

Good luck.

I actually did look into the increases hoping that it might shed some light on future increases. I got this info from the broker and it is somewhat complicated but it appears in the long run both Regence and AARP/UHC increase at almost the same rate. This still leaves me with no major differences so it's probably down to who is better rated from a customer service perspective. Again the broker says in Utah they are equally responsive to customer problems.



So is it up to a toss of the coin?

 

[tuffshed]

The community rated AARP G plan that I have offered an initial discount which gradually disappears as you get older.

Yes, same for here as well, that is what makes the calculation difficult. When I attempt this calculation I am making a lot of assumptions and in the end there is a small amount of difference between the two.



So I guess I'm wondering if people have opinions on which company might weather future uncertainties and political unrest in the future and therefore might offer better future rates.

 

[REWahoo]

So is it up to a toss of the coin?

See if you can get a look at each insurer's website for their Medigap policyholders to see which you prefer. Since that's where you'll likely be going to see claims payment information, that's about all I see in the way of tiebreakers.

 

[NoMoreJob]

I can tell you that I have UHC/AARP in a different state and unfortunately have had the opportunity to use it extensively. The service has been excellent....no complaints at all.

However, my guess is that you may as well flip a coin.

 

[Buckeye]

Howdy,
I need to select a Medigap plan in the next few weeks. I'm sure, so don't convince otherwise, that I'm going with a Plan G. There are two contenders for my business in Utah, Regence and AARP/UHC. They are both almost the same cost considering one has Silver+Fit that I would take advantage of, so how to choose. I believe both have fantastic representation in almost or all states and my insurance broker loves both of them so it comes down to what cost increases they "might" have in the future as I will have to stick with one of them for the long term.


Regence? AARP/UHC? Why?


Thanks, Mike

My mother had AARP/UHC Plan F for many, many years and never had an issue.

 

[frank]

I don;t mean to sidetrack the issue here, but noticed that a lot of you mentioned brokers. do you mean insurance agents? Is that something that is beneficial in your opinion?

 

[MichaelB]

I don;t mean to sidetrack the issue here, but noticed that a lot of you mentioned brokers. do you mean insurance agents? Is that something that is beneficial in your opinion?

It can be beneficial. There is no additional cost to you, the agent can show a variety of policy options available in your zip code, and can also help decipher pricing.

 

[NoMoreJob]

I don;t mean to sidetrack the issue here, but noticed that a lot of you mentioned brokers. do you mean insurance agents? Is that something that is beneficial in your opinion?

An agent/broker can certainly be helpful if you find the right one. I happened to run across a really good agent when dealing with ACA insurance prior to Medicare. I had always handled my insurance on my own but had experienced problems with the ACA Federal Marketplace. Due to his extensive experience he was able to help me navigate it and avoid those problems. My wife continues to use him for her ACA insurance and I am now using him for my Medicare policies. We could certainly handle it all ourselves but he helps smooth out the entire process at no cost to us.

 

[saydiver]

I don;t mean to sidetrack the issue here, but noticed that a lot of you mentioned brokers. do you mean insurance agents? Is that something that is beneficial in your opinion?

An agent is an employee or representative of a particular insurance company and sells only their insurance.

A broker is an independent insurance salesman and represents many insurance companies. You're better off using a broker, who will not only set you up with a plan, but be available if you need help with a claim or administrative issue. Please be aware some brokers only represent the companies which pay them the highest commission. For example many brokers will not sell you a high deductible Medigap plan, because the commission is so low they don't think it's worth their time or some will sell you a plan then try to sell you other insurance policies too like cancer, final expense, etc.

 

[NoMoreJob]

An agent is an employee or representative of a particular insurance company and sells only their insurance.

A broker is an independent insurance salesman and represents many insurance companies. You're better off using a broker, who will not only set you up with a plan, but be available if you need help with a claim or administrative issue. Please be aware some brokers only represent the companies which pay them the highest commission. For example many brokers will not sell you a high deductible Medigap plan, because the commission is so low they don't think it's worth their time or some will sell you a plan then try to sell you other insurance policies too like cancer, final expense, etc.

You're absolutely correct about that and I used the terms interchangeably in error. Thanks for the correction, especially for the benefit of the OP.

 

[tuffshed]

An agent is an employee or representative of a particular insurance company and sells only their insurance.

A broker is an independent insurance salesman and represents many insurance companies. You're better off using a broker, who will not only set you up with a plan, but be available if you need help with a claim or administrative issue...

Absolutely right. A broker costs you nothing and policy premiums are the same whether you use one or not. This is the law. They are paid by commission but if you get a good one they are worth their weight in gold. They know the local market and the claims processing since they are your representative if something goes wrong. We used a good one when we got private insurance when I retired. He was able to steer us clear of one company in Utah that denied many claims and was hard to deal with even though the rates were good. Eventually that company went bankrupt.



The broker that I had for private insurance recommended my current Medigap broker since his office did not specialize in Medigap. A good recommendation is key to finding a broker. They can have inside knowledge that is either tough or impossible to find out on your own. I did extensive research on Medigap but even so there were new things I learned from her.



My advice, do your homework first then get professional help through a recommended broker. I did, now I'm stuck with making a choice between two excellent companies. I wish all my problems were this easy.

 

[Telly]

so it comes down to what cost increases they "might" have in the future as I will have to stick with one of them for the long term.

Turn the hot light on your broker, and find out if Regence plays "the book game". If they do, in a few years you may find yourself stuck in a plan with no new fresh 65-year-old blood coming in as you age, and your premiums increase greatly, reflecting an aging sicker pool you are swimming in. Looking at recent premium increases doesn't tell the whole story, as I found out. But I was able to pass medical underwriting, and fly out of it.

 

[tuffshed]

Turn the hot light on your broker, and find out if Regence plays "the book game". If they do, in a few years you may find yourself stuck in a plan with no new fresh 65-year-old blood coming in as you age, and your premiums increase greatly, reflecting an aging sicker pool you are swimming in. Looking at recent premium increases doesn't tell the whole story, as I found out. But I was able to pass medical underwriting, and fly out of it.

Thanks, good advice. This was one of the main reasons I ran away from Medigap F plans like they had the plague. I suppose that looking into how many new customers each gets yearly would give a feeling for that as well.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

IMHO AARP is above the rest, BoomerBenefits say it is the best out there. 1 Pacemaker and a variety of specialist visits later not one bill. I am expecting a bill for the $185 Deductible, but as of today not a not a sausage and my first appointment this year was in January. BB said they have heard of folks who never received the deductible bill for years with AARP G, but I am not holding my breath.

 

[NoMoreJob]

IMHO AARP is above the rest, BoomerBenefits say it is the best out there. 1 Pacemaker and a variety of specialist visits later not one bill. I am expecting a bill for the $185 Deductible, but as of today not a not a sausage and my first appointment this year was in January. BB said they have heard of folks who never received the deductible bill for years with AARP G, but I am not holding my breath.

I've been receiving my billing every year!

But that said, the timeliness and accuracy of service from AARP/UHC has been superb. I'm referring to bills being paid. Since everything goes like clockwork I have no reason to do anything but watch it happen. This is one of the primary reasons I chose Plan G....so when I'm less mentally capable I won't have to be concerned about dealing with paperwork and billings.

 

[MBSC]

A broker costs you nothing and policy premiums are the same whether you use one or not. This is the law. They are paid by commission but if you get a good one they are worth their weight in gold. They know the local market and the claims processing since they are your representative if something goes wrong.

Thank you for posting this. A Medigap broker's ability to help resolve billing issues between the medical provider and original Medicare is too often overlooked. This can be helpful as the beneficiary ages and becomes less capable of dealing with such issues.

Turn the hot light on your broker, and find out if Regence plays "the book game".

The actual name is Regence BCBS. The Blue Cross Association currently does not let the BCBS companies form new subsidiaries with new books.

 

[REWahoo]

The Blue Cross Association currently does not let the BCBS companies form new subsidiaries with new books.

Interesting.

In comparing supplement premium costs it appears to me that BCBS rates are higher than most of the competitors - sometimes by a significant amount. Since they don't play the "new book" game this might explain why.

I suppose it boils down to "pay me now or pay me later".

 

[frank]

does anyone know if there is a site where you can locate brokers in my area. what do you look for to specifically find a broker for medigap and pard d?

 

[REWahoo]

Several of us here use Boomer Benefits as our broker for Medicare Suppplement and Part D policies. They work with clients nationwide.

They were very helpful when we changed supplement insurers last year.

 

[tuffshed]

Going with AARP/UHC

So I think I've decided to go with AARP/UHC. It was a tough call but from all the good reports from family and friends plus people here I felt that I couldn't really go wrong with either one. One small fact that did influence me is that Regence BCBS is only in 4 states, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington. Even though they are under the blanket of the parent BCBS they are still a separate entity. I'm partial to large corporations and UHC is the largest. Sure there is nothing to guarantee that they will go belly up or stiff their customers with higher rates I think this is less likely especially with AARP giving them their blessings.

So I have another month and a half to go then I'll be a full fledged card carrying Socialist with all it's benefits.

 

[Another Reader]

Welcome to the Party, Comrade!

 

[PatrickA5]

Dad had AARP/UHC for years (decades?). I don't think he ever paid anything out of pocket (other than drugs). I've got 3 years before Medicare, so I'm starting to study up.