UHC/AARP Medigap Discount - Call?

[sengsational]

Has anyone added a UHC/AARP Medicare supplemental policy after their spouse already had such a policy?

The reason I ask is because if you have two AARP members in the household, you get 10% off, but if you have two policy holders in the household, you get 15% off.

Right now, the existing policy is getting 10% off. But when we get the second policy established, both policies should get 15% off.

I just wondered if we need to call, or if it will happen automatically.

 

[audreyh1]

Not sure. We have a family AARP membership. I was going to ask Boomer Benefits. I am starting Medicare later this year. DH is already on UHC/AARP.

 

[CardsFan]

DW started with AARP/UHC 6 months before me. As I recall, when I signed up they automatically applied the discount.

 

[CRLLS]

When it comes to AARP/UHC, here in Illinois, they offer 2 different Plan G policies. The traditional one that they offer has benefits of gym membership and some discount plans for vision/dental IIRC. A couple of years ago they began offering a second, less expensive plan than more closely matches completing Medigap providers. Not only the perks of gym membership and other discounts, the age related discount is also different in percentage and the number of years it lasts. Both cover what is required for a Plan G. If they offer both types in your state, make sure you know which you are being quoted.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We have a family membership and got a discount. When we signed up DW they did it automatically.

 

[Sunset]

When it comes to AARP/UHC, here in Illinois, they offer 2 different Plan G policies. The traditional one that they offer has benefits of gym membership and some discount plans for vision/dental IIRC. A couple of years ago they began offering a second, less expensive plan than more closely matches completing Medigap providers. Not only the perks of gym membership and other discounts, the age related discount is also different in percentage and the number of years it lasts. Both cover what is required for a Plan G. If they offer both types in your state, make sure you know which you are being quoted.

So what is missing from the cheaper one to make it cheaper

 

[audreyh1]

DH UHC/AARP Plan G doesn’t have gym membership etc. He started in 2020.

 

[CRLLS]

So what is missing from the cheaper one to make it cheaper

According to the website the old plan is now called "Plan G + wellness"

Dental Discounts

Vision Discount

Hearing Discounts

Gym Membership

All of which are not required by Medicare to be a Plan G supplement. They also have two tiers of Plan F and Plan N. At least in Illinois. Since rates are regulated by the individual states, it may be different discounts and "extras". Do your own diligence is all I can suggest. I am just mentioning it since very seldom this comes up.

 

[Texas Proud]

Has anyone added a UHC/AARP Medicare supplemental policy after their spouse already had such a policy?

The reason I ask is because if you have two AARP members in the household, you get 10% off, but if you have two policy holders in the household, you get 15% off.

Right now, the existing policy is getting 10% off. But when we get the second policy established, both policies should get 15% off.

I just wondered if we need to call, or if it will happen automatically.

How do you know if you have the AARP discount? I am a member but do not think I have a discount....

 

[sengsational]

^ If you log on to https://member.uhc.com/medicare/payments#/ (premium payments > premium breakdown) you'll see it.

 

[CardsFan]

^^
Curious. What is the enrollment discount?

 

[audreyh1]

^^
Curious. What is the enrollment discount?

I suspect that is the annual discount you receive until age 78 or something. It reduces by 3% each year. That’s how UHC prices their supplement to compete with the age-rated offerings.

 

[sengsational]

^ It's a fixed percentage off the eventual price, based on age. The discount goes to zero at age 85, I think.

The policy is priced using modified "Community Rated" pricing, meaning the pool you're in has all ages. The "modified" part is this defined shrinking discount.

Almost all Medigap policies are "Age Attained" pricing.

Age-Attained Pricing

This is the most popular pricing method the carriers use. With an age-attained policy, the carrier will price the policy based on your age at issue and the premium will increase over time due to your age.

Issue-age Pricing

The premium is based on your age at issue and the premium will only increase when the carrier has a “state-wide increase.” You will not receive an annual age increase.

Community-Rated Pricing

With these plans, the base premium is priced the same for everyone in the area, regardless of age. Your policy does not increase due to age.

 

[sengsational]

No Calling Required - Discount is Applied to Spouse

Just to confirm the indication from the experiences shared above, UHC sent letters confirming the updated discount for the existing spouse's plan, changing from "household" to "multi-insured".

Two letters in the mail today, mine said "...you will receive a discount off the total monthly rate for your household" and DW's said "Your monthly premium payment amount has been updated as a result of a rate change to your plan(s)." Both letters had an identical chart showing the amount for February (one person), then March, April and May (two people). The totals aligned with both of us getting the 15% off multi-insured discount.

But it sounds like they're going to pull the sum of both payments out of my account: "The monthly amount withdrawn from your account will be the total current household premium payment due each month. This will include premiums for your spouse or other member of the household on the same membership account." I would rather have them leave hers as it is, and add mine, but I guess they want to have fewer transactions. Now I'm going to have to bill my wife $68.31/mo

 

[Trooper]

Has anyone added a UHC/AARP Medicare supplemental policy after their spouse already had such a policy?

The reason I ask is because if you have two AARP members in the household, you get 10% off, but if you have two policy holders in the household, you get 15% off.

Right now, the existing policy is getting 10% off. But when we get the second policy established, both policies should get 15% off.

I just wondered if we need to call, or if it will happen automatically.

Thanks for reminding me of this. DW goes on MC this year and we'll both have a UHC supplemental plan.

^ If you log on to https://member.uhc.com/medicare/payments#/ (premium payments > premium breakdown) you'll see it.

I don't see the base for which the 15% is applied. Simple math says it's $56.73 but that doesn't tie to anything in the breakdown.

Now I'm going to have to bill my wife $68.31/mo

Let me know how that goes!

 

[Dash man]

I wonder why your EFT discount is $4 and mine is $2? Both of us use EFT.

 

[zaqxsw]

I chose UHC/AARP Plan G back in 2019. My wife also joined the plan in 2020. We received a 5% joint household discount under a single AARP membership number. In 2021, that discount went to 7%.

It is still 7% as of this month.

 

[sengsational]

I don't see the base for which the 15% is applied. Simple math says it's $56.73 but that doesn't tie to anything in the breakdown.

In my example post, above, DW is getting 10% off because both of us are AARP members:
(154.7−69.62)×.1 = 8.51

You need to take the undiscounted amount minus the enrollment discount and net that out. Then apply the 10% or 15%.

I wonder why your EFT discount is $4 and mine is $2? Both of us use EFT.

As to the $4 vs $2 ETF discount, I don't know. Maybe they weren't getting enough takers and upped the anti. I wonder if you quit ETF if they'd offer you the $4 deal.

 

[Dash man]

Perhaps, but not that big a deal.

 

[zaqxsw]

The Joint Household Discount applies to the "AGE 77 STANDARD RATE" or the "AGE 81 STANDARD RATE" depending on when each of you had enrolled. That is the Standard Rate that your decreasing yearly discounts apply to.

So if use the amount of the Joint Household Discount divided by your current premium it will be higher than 7%. The 7% discount applies to the Standard Rate that your plan uses.

Nothing simple about it. I created a spreadsheet that perfectly matches my premiums whenever the Standard Rates are established in June and the yearly discounts we both get on our anniversaries.

 

[sengsational]

... I created a spreadsheet that perfectly matches my premiums whenever the Standard Rates are established in June and the yearly discounts we both get on our anniversaries.

I did the same. The "deal" is spelled out pretty clearly, but there are a few moving parts. I just like that the rates are driven by a pool of people from 65 and older, instead of from a single age. I think it makes it more predictable. Certainly there's medical inflation we'll be paying, and there's the % increase that was known at signup, but not a place where the healthy people will flee, leaving those that can't pass underwriting.

 

[CRLLS]

With regards to the AARP/UHC discounts, we have to understand that the pricing and the discounts are regulated by the individual states. There is no one answer fits all for what the household discount is.