Seeking Experience and Opinions from FL residents on Supplement G plans

[gabrewer]

Hi all;

Well that time is approaching; we both go on Medicare this June. My research to date has brought me to the conclusion that a plan G supplement is the way to go. I've been dealing with some health "stuff" this past year, and I need to make sure my expenses are going to be covered. Advantage plans were ruled out early on.

So it's just a matter of picking an insurance provider at this point. Our ACA plan is currently with FL Blue. The last time I had contact with our agent he indicated he would be reaching out to discuss moving forward. That would certainly be easy, and would keep us in the loop with same local office/face we're used to. However, AARP-UHC also has a strong presence in Florida, and people we know (my BIL specifically) have good things to say about it.

In going through the drill on the Medicare.gov site, FL Blue does cost a bit more per month that UHC ($231 vs. $209). But in other places, I've read that UHC is more prone to annual rate hikes.

So I just hoped to get a feeling here from members who might actually know as to what your experience has been with either, your satisfaction, problems, etc. Also, would anyone have knowledge or an opinion as to what the ongoing BCBS antitrust lawsuits might have on the medigap market, if any?

Thanks!

 

[MichaelB]

Florida resident here, on Medicare with Plan G supplementals. DW has FloridaBlue and I have UHC/AARP. There’s no doubt BCBS price increases have been much greater. Her policy is now 19% more expensive than mine.

I’ll try to see if I can find the prices when we originally enrolled. I do know they were very close.

 

[MichaelB]

I checked my records. Over the past 6 years, the BCBS G supplement has risen by an average of 3.4% annually, while the UHC/AARP G supplement has risen by an average of 2.8%.

This is in South Florida. Not sure about other parts of the state.

 

[gabrewer]

I checked my records. Over the past 6 years, the BCBS G supplement has risen by an average of 3.4% annually, while the UHC/AARP G supplement has risen by an average of 2.8%.

This is in South Florida. Not sure about other parts of the state.

Thank you. I'm in North Florida, but in an area with a lot of retirees. Our situation might be similar.

 

[VanWinkle]

You can also compare plan N to plan G. The future increases will likely be less on plan N. Dr 15-20 dollar copays are the main difference but read the facts carefully before deciding.

 

[teejayevans]

Side question , does the plans with AARP in the name require you to be a member?

 

[Dtail]

I am in Tampa. I have UHC/AARP and was on Blue Cross for ACA purposes. I did consider both, but ultimately went with UHC. Can't find my notes right now as to why.

 

[MichaelB]

Side question , does the plans with AARP in the name require you to be a member?

You need to be an AARP member to enroll in the plan, but not thereafter.

 

[Midpack]

Read up on closing the books/sick duck pool, many threads here. At least in my state AARP/UHC and BCBS do NOT have a history of closing the books. The rates may be a little higher than others like Mutual of Omaha, but the future rate increases will be lower if history is any guide. I only wish I’d known when I signed up for my supplemental plan.

 

[MBSC]

One of my favorite posts on a forum for insurance agents. It's about trying to find a cheaper Medigap policy for FL residents.

If they are already on UHC and in FL, you're not moving them. UHC has 55% of the market in FL and we are an issue age state. It's tough to save them money if they bought the plan at age 65.

Med Supp Carriers

I am a veteran agent going independent and I want to make sure I understand why you would recommend one carrier over another. I know that on CSG when quoting you can see years in market, historical price increase history, and market data, etc. However, I've been told you can't always go by some...

www.insurance-forums.com

 

[Scuba]

DH has the AARP/UHC supplement. He’s only been on it since last March but it has been wonderful so far. Have not had any providers say they don’t accept it, and we get a lot more value out of it than the premiums we pay, at least so far.