AARP Medicare Supplement Plan - Details Anyone?

[REWahoo]

And that's when you really want to watch the premiums. On a closed plan, there are no new enrollees, and those who stay on the old plan often don't want to switch because their health may not be as good. So the cost of care goes up because the insured population is not as healthy, it's called adverse selection. Over time, premiums will rise more rapidly in a closed plan.

- Rita

Yep, I'm struggling with this.

DW and I both have Plan F HD and have never come close to meeting our annual deductible (yes, I know this can change in a heartbeat).

I have no way to determine if the known immediate increased premiums to switch to Plan G will offset the potential Plan F HD premium increases due to future adverse selection. A recent quote shows my $65/mo F HD premium would increase to $183/mo if I change to Plan G, and I would expect DW's premium to have a similar increase. I'm reluctant to start paying an additional $200+/mo now for some unknown savings at some point in the future.

Frustrating that they didn't create a Plan G HD option.

 

[athena53]

I chose the AARP Medicare Supplement even though I'd been throwing AARP mailings away for years. I've had it only 2 months and I'm very healthy, but my husband had it for 2 years from when I retired to when he died in late 2016. He had numerous health issues including managing polycythemia (a form of blood cancer), a vertebroplasty after a fall, a leg ulcer that needed weekly treatment and, eventually, acute myeloid leukemia. Medicare and the supplement covered every provider with very little out-of-pocket. The only problem I ever had with claims was one hospital that sent me a bill with boilerplate stating that all insurances had been billed, and they hadn't billed UHC. I sent the Medicare Explanation of Benefits forms to UHC and they paid their part with no problems.

I mostly delete the spam they send to my e-mail almost daily but I like the coverage.

 

[wmc1000]

REWahoo I have read Plan G HD will be available in 2020 - maybe you can qualify to change then.

http://www.naic.org/documents/commi..._exposure_medigap_plans_sold_after_200101.pdf

https://medicareworld.com/news/2017/11/16/changes-medigap-2020/

 

[aja8888]

Yep, I'm struggling with this.

DW and I both have Plan F HD and have never come close to meeting our annual deductible (yes, I know this can change in a heartbeat).

I have no way to determine if the known immediate increased premiums to switch to Plan G will offset the potential Plan F HD premium increases due to future adverse selection. A recent quote shows my $65/mo F HD premium would increase to $183/mo if I change to Plan G, and I would expect DW's premium to have a similar increase. I'm reluctant to start paying an additional $200+/mo now for some unknown savings at some point in the future.

Frustrating that they didn't create a Plan G HD option.

One thing to highlight here is what it takes to switch Medigap coverage from one plan to another. I switched from full F to G as costs for full F were going up at a faster rate than G. But I am healthy and don't have any of the disqualifiers, medically, that would have shut down my switch application. And the investigation into my health status and history was very, very thorough.

My recommendation is don't wait too long if one is contemplating switching Medigap plans.

 

[REWahoo]

REWahoo I have read Plan G HD will be available in 2020 - maybe you can qualify to change then.

http://www.naic.org/documents/commi..._exposure_medigap_plans_sold_after_200101.pdf

https://medicareworld.com/news/2017/11/16/changes-medigap-2020/

Thanks, I hadn't seen that info.

 

[REWahoo]

My recommendation is don't wait too long if one is contemplating switching Medigap plans.

Yep, my problem is I'd like to switch us to Plan G HD which I just learned won't be available until 2020. Hope we can still qualify for the change by then.

 

[grasshopper]

I made the switch this year from Plan F to Plan G no underwriting questions asked. The difference in cost for me is I pay the deductible out of pocket $183 instead of paying for part of it every month.

 

[fritz]

As I understand - Florida is a little unusual in that its medicare policies are all billed at community rated pricing (one for all). The insurance companies just bill everyone at the age 80 pricing level from age 65. This is why Florida Medicare is higher at 65 than other states with attained age or issue age pricing structures.

AARP/UHC uses community rated pricing structure here in Illinois where attained age pricing structure is used. To get around this - they show a "discount" online with a quote. If you call United Healthcare about the discount (as I did) you'll be told that it's a 36% discount that goes away at 3% per year until gone completely.

All medigap policies normally go up every year due to medical costs, but some go up higher than others, and some have declining yearly discounts as well (AARP/UHC here in Illinois). Give AARP/UHC a lot of credit - they were upfront with it (when asked) and their costs are comparable with others in the area. The discount is not so clear and DW would end up paying more than with other attained age rated policies during the declining discount period. Just selected "G" for wife (CSI Life/Berkshire Hathaway) along with part "D" (Aetna) drugs. I use "Hi-F" (Globe Life) for 2+ years now, and no part "D" as covered with VA. Rates DO vary depending on your state of residency.

SHIP here in Illinois does a good job compiling information on Medigap supplement insurers. Most states offer some form of SHIP assistance, but Illinois gives a great yearly rate comparison all at specific ages. Use this to compare other states with not-so-good SHIP info. Available online as PDF.

Only get one guaranteed sign-up with Medicare (at 65) IIRC. Others will require medical review (underwriting) which could result in higher rates. There are exceptions regarding Advantage plans (we don't use them), and when an insurer fails. Some insurers will allow customers to switch plans w/o underwriting - say F to G. If you talk to an insurance agent, just remember - they normally have a little bias in that they will usually discuss those they represent, and the best priced policy might not be among their representation. All Medicare supplement policies must offer the same coverage, and the only difference in them is usually the price (AARP/UHC does offer silver sneakers program with their policies - if available in your area).

 

[Dancer373]

I am in Florida and have the Supplement Plan F which does not include meds. Plan F covers co-pays etc and since having it I've received no other bills. For Part D I have Silver Script which was one of the least expensive monthly payments and had decent med coverage. I previously had Part D with Cigna HealthSpring but their monthly premiums jumped drastically as did the cost of meds. I purposely did not get an Advantage plan as I wanted the freedom to use doctors and facilities of my choosing.....not have to use their network or get approval ahead of time.

 

[Katsmeow]

DH has traditional medicare with the AARP UHC Plan F for his supplement. He also has UHC Part D prescription coverage. He doesn't take any regular meds so hasn't really used the prescription coverage much. He has had no problems with his supplement.

I am not a fan of Medicare Advantage plans for 3 reasons. Most of them are HMOs. I know there are some PPOs out there but most are HMOs. Also, it is sort of like still being insured by an insurance company. A relative on Medicare Advantage (actually one through AARP) was in the hospital and she had to leave when the insurance company said she had to leave even though it was clear she really wasn't ready to leave yet. And, when in rehab (she broke her hip) she had limited choices of rehab facilities since it had to be in network.

For DH on traditional medicare it is much simpler. He goes anywhere that will take medicare. So far, there hasn't been anyone he wanted to see who didn't take it.

The third reason I don't want Medicare Advantage is there is no guarantee you can later get a supplement if you switch back to traditional medicare. The supplement is important as otherwise you have no limit on the 20%. I wouldn't take a chance of my health changing and not being able to get a supplement.

 

[gindie]

Check with your state's Department of Insurance for shopping information and rates. For example, Ohio publishes a Medigap Shopping guide and a document that shows every company's premiums.

 

[MBSC]

Florida Medigap Rates: https://apps.fldfs.com/mcws/CWSSearch.aspx

2018 Medicare & You Booklet: https://www.medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/10050-Medicare-and-You.pdf

Choosing a Medigap Policy: https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/02110-Medicare-Medigap.guide.pdf

Guide to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage: https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/11109-Your-Guide-to-Medicare-Prescrip-Drug-Cov.pdf

You may be well advised to get the assistance of a professional agent in evaluating the various plans but you should also do your own homework so you can ask intelligent questions and not rely solely on the agent.

I believe this is the best response based on the questions being asked by the OP.

It appears the OP lives in NE Florida. An experienced local agent will be able to explain the consequences of choosing Medigap Plan N and going to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.

As I understand - Florida is a little unusual in that its medicare policies are all billed at community rated pricing (one for all). The insurance companies just bill everyone at the age 80 pricing level from age 65. This is why Florida Medicare is higher at 65 than other states with attained age...pricing structures.

Florida is an "Issue Age" state but the impact is exactly as you describe. The initial premium is high since it cannot be increased for age in the future.

Four states (AZ, FL, GA, and ID) require Medigap prices to be “Issue Aged”. The issue age policy cannot increase in price due to your new attained age, but can still increase in price due to medical inflation.

Reference: https://medigapseminars.org/ten-things-you-need-to-know-to-get-the-best-medigap-plan/

 

[ShokWaveRider]

This thread has been one of the MOST helpful for me personally. Thanks for all the great responses. I really need to tag this somehow do I can refer back to it in September this year. Please keep the info coming if applicable. Thanks again.

 

[Doc0]

I have AARP N plan. It's $141a month and is pretty comprehensive No pre-existing on initial enrollment. I'm not a big user of insurance.

 

[ncbill]

So as long as you can live with a network something like the AARP plan is the better option (vs. paying for drug coverage & Plan G?)

Looking for recommendations for a relative in the early 70s who is so cash-squeezed that they're only getting around to signing up for Part B this March.

 

[wmc1000]

ncbill; the other issue other than network coverage with an advantage plan is that it has significantly higher max OOP potential costs. So it is a more of a pay me later plan IF the person has significant medical expenses at some point.

Basically lower up front costs vs the POTENTIAL of bigger backside costs.

 

[wmc1000]

Doc0 - don't know where you live but in my case the Aetna Plan G + Plan D total mo. premium is only $118 for a 65 yo male, (non-smoker).

 

[Luvdogs]

We're in Florida and my DH just signed up for Medicare as he will be 65 soon.

We did the AARP United Health Care Plan F. It is just under $200 per month, no deductibles for Part A or B, no co-pays.

There will only be additional charges for a very, very serious condition of over about a year in the hospital or something like that.

It is the most comprehensive plan that we could find (no surprises) just $200 per month every month, plus the amount for Part B plus the amount of the prescription drug plan.

I will still get another insurance plan for vacations out of the country as it only covers $50,000 total lifetime (this has a deductible of I think around $250).

I spent a ton of time researching and this was the best for him.

 

[Sue J]

This thread has been one of the MOST helpful for me personally. Thanks for all the great responses. I really need to tag this somehow do I can refer back to it in September this year. Please keep the info coming if applicable. Thanks again.

You can subscribe to the thread (Thread Tools at the top of the topic) and then you'll be able to come back to it by going to your User CP and on the left you can find your subscribed threads. You can also get to your subscribed threads under Quick Links

I will subscribe to this one too. I am turning 63 this week so I have 2 years to get educated on Medicare. I'm sure plenty will change before it's my turn but I'm trying to learn about it before I get there.

 

[MBSC]

So as long as you can live with a network something like the AARP plan is the better option (vs. paying for drug coverage & Plan G?)

Looking for recommendations for a relative in the early 70s who is so cash-squeezed that they're only getting around to signing up for Part B this March.

ncbill; the other issue other than network coverage with an advantage plan is that it has significantly higher max OOP potential costs. So it is a more of a pay me later plan IF the person has significant medical expenses at some point.

Basically lower up front costs vs the POTENTIAL of bigger backside costs.

+1
On another forum, a person chose a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan because they were fixated on the $0 additional premium after Part B. MA plans with drug coverage require you to use their prescription drug plan. She would be paying $24k/yr for drugs under that plan. We were able to get her on Medigap Plan G as she was still in her Trial Right period (no underwriting). This gave her the freedom to choose the best Part D plan for her needs. She now pays $7k/yr for drugs. She is saving money by spending $2k/yr on premiums.

 

[Another Reader]

If you pick the AARP UHC supplement, is that completely independent of the Part D drug plan? If so, how do you pick a drug plan that will be the least stingy and difficult to work with if you develop a disease that needs very costly drugs? I don't care about the current drug, which is available as a cheap generic. I'm happy to pay a higher premium to insure I have access to and help paying for that expensive silver bullet drug.

 

[athena53]

If you pick the AARP UHC supplement, is that completely independent of the Part D drug plan? If so, how do you pick a drug plan that will be the least stingy and difficult to work with if you develop a disease that needs very costly drugs? I don't care about the current drug, which is available as a cheap generic. I'm happy to pay a higher premium to insure I have access to and help paying for that expensive silver bullet drug.

Yes, they are independent. It's a bit of a crapshoot. I chose a cheap prescription plan because I'm on only one right now. Each insurer has its own schedule of what they'll pay for specific meds and you can access them on-line but of course that doesn't help till you actually get a specific "silver bullet" prescription. You can change insurers at any open enrollment period but that's not a lot of help if you have poor coverage for a prescription you get in February.

What was important to me was just having SOME prescription coverage in force; they surcharge people who try to game the system by not buying it till they need expensive meds.

 

[ncbill]

+1
On another forum, a person chose a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan because they were fixated on the $0 additional premium after Part B. MA plans with drug coverage require you to use their prescription drug plan. She would be paying $24k/yr for drugs under that plan. We were able to get her on Medigap Plan G as she was still in her Trial Right period (no underwriting). This gave her the freedom to choose the best Part D plan for her needs. She now pays $7k/yr for drugs. She is saving money by spending $2k/yr on premiums.

using bestmedicaresupplement.com for their zip code

cheapest Part D & G are $100 each, so over $200/month total.

for someone whose finances are on the razor's edge & takes no medications it still seems an Advantage plan would be the way to go, even if they pick one with a non-zero premium (for better drug coverage)

 

[MBSC]

using bestmedicaresupplement.com for their zip code

cheapest Part D & G are $100 each, so over $200/month total.

for someone whose finances are on the razor's edge & takes no medications it still seems an Advantage plan would be the way to go, even if they pick one with a non-zero premium (for better drug coverage)

Supplements (Medigap) are "plans", not "Part" . You are correct that the site lists Medigap Plan G for $100.

I could not find Part D drug plans on that site. What I did see was another Medigap version called Plan D for $100. To view Part D drug plans, go to Medicare.gov Plan Finder and enter their zip code, then select the "I take no drugs" option. Most markets have a Part D drug plan in the $16-$25 per month range to use as a placeholder. Each person's situation is unique. There is no one size fits all solution.

This site lists the different Medigap Plan letters and what each covers: https://www.medicare.gov/supplement-other-insurance/compare-medigap/compare-medigap.html

 

[omni550]

using bestmedicaresupplement.com for their zip code

cheapest Part D & G are $100 each, so over $200/month total.

for someone whose finances are on the razor's edge & takes no medications it still seems an Advantage plan would be the way to go, even if they pick one with a non-zero premium (for better drug coverage)

A cheap Part D drug plan was discussed on this site a few months ago. It's called EnvisionRX and runs me $12.80/mo. https://www.envisionrx.com/

(FWIW, I'm currently not on any RXs, and only need a Part D to prevent future surcharges. Hence, an inexpensive plan meets my needs at the moment.)

omni