CT, VT and WA are community-rated states.
Aah, so it's a case where every supplement in the state is community-rated, and residents of that state have no choice to get any other kind? That actually seems kind of straightforward, and maybe even fair, if we're all in this together. Although premiums do differ among companies so it's not
that straightforward.
And look at Connecticut, which is one of the few states where you can change your supplement at any time without medical underwriting. Colonial Penn has a Plan G for $630.01 per month, which is more than $200 more than the next most expensive Plan G anybody offers. Why would someone choose that Plan G?
And get this--Colonial Penn has a high-deductible Plan G for $66.65 per month. All that gets you is not having to pay a deductible of $2,490, but it costs you an extra $6,370 a year to get that. Why would someone do that?
I can see it happening in states where you can't switch plans without passing underwriting, and you're stuck with something that has changed since you bought it. But that's not the case in Connecticut.
I just can't understand it. My experience is that most people with Medicare don't really understand what it is they have, but this Colonial Penn thing is ridiculous. Is it possible the premium didn't start out so high but has changed and people just didn't get sticker shock and check to see what's going on? But they always scream when their car insurance goes up. Or maybe there are zero people who actually have it, and Colonial Penn "offers" it only because of some regulatory requirement? I just don't get it.
But speaking of understanding what you have...
I have a Texas Plan G with wellness benefits from AARP/UHC. It acts just like a regular Plan G, but also includes gym memberships, and the premium is $16/month higher than the regular Plan G. That makes sense.
BUT the age-related discount for the regular Plan G for a 65-year-old is 45%, while the discount for wellness benefits Plan G is 39%. And the ages at which the discounts decline and end are different: for example, regular Plan G's discount ends at age 86, while the wellness benefits Plan G's discount ends at age 81.
Maybe those difference could be explained somehow, but how about this one: the discount for using EFT is $4/month for regular Plan G and $2/month for wellness benefits Plan G. I can't fathom ANY reason for that.