Behind the Capitol Hill photo ops and consumer-friendly slogans, AARP, America’s most trusted seniors’ group, has close financial ties with America’s largest health care conglomerate.
I opted for AARP/United Healthcare Medicare supplement just because of AARP’s reputation and the discount offered. The discount disappeared after the first year and premiums went up . Now I see I was duped by someone I trusted. Is this blood money worth my loss of trust now that it's being used to mislead people into worse coverage?
I think the regular AARP branded UnitedHealth Medicare supplement is still a good rate even after the initial discount ends. But definitely avoid all Medicare Advantage plans!
AARP has always been a money making machine masked as a non-profit and has also been notoriously politically biased.
I would encourage anyone with the means to stick with traditional Medicare plus Part D, plus anBlue Cross supplemental policy. That’s the best healthcare insurance in the world. I also recommend high quality long term care insurance.
I had all that when I had the means. Now that I don’t, I have Medicare Advantage through Blue Cross and I am surprisingly satisfied. I just stress tested it with a 6 day hospitalization and so far so good, although I haven’t seen the bills yet.
You can get a Medicare Plan G supplement from Allstate or American Heritage at age 65, and no preexisting conditions apply. It’s age based, and exactly like the INSCO Plan Gs. Mine was ~1K for the whole year for 2025.It’s higher (1300$) this year- thanks Repubs- but still lower than any INSCO PlanGs.
We do not have to support United/BlueCross/Cigna/Aetna as Medicare recipients.
But, you need an insurance broker who does not get paid by INSCOs to even hear about these other Plan Gs. (They are listed in the book they mail out to 64 year olds, but it was another Substacker who got me to look into these plans, and a broker I paid who advised me they are actually better plans).
If you go Medicare Disadvantage and decide later to go traditional Medicare, premiums are not age based and will be exorbitant. Don’t do it!
Doctors are opting out of MA so you’ll be seeing docs in a narrow network- and MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering and Mayo Clinic are definitely not in network!
It’s not just the money involved with leaving the MA plan later; it’s more about IF you can even get a plan. Once you are outside of that seven month window surrounding your 65th birthday, pre existing conditions can apply. Federal law requires insurance companies that provide supplemental insurance to provide identical coverage in all states. However, they are not required to provide a policy to you if you have pre existing conditions outside the 7 month window. They may, but you will have to pay the price for it or pay the extra 20% yourself without a supplement.
Pre-existing condition limitations means a plan would take you but for six months would exclude coverage for conditions you had before coming in.
Medical Underwriting is the proper term. If you are accepted into a Medigap plan through Underwriting, nothing is excluded from that point forward.
Also, getting a Medigap plan later costs no different than anyone else in that same zip code, age, and plan. They are not rated based on your age (some states do allow for up to a 10% additional premium based on excessive weight, though.)
And Underwriting is not difficult at all. I have helped over 15,000 people in 50 states go through the process easily. Here is how it works:
It’s very easy to be duped into Medicare “Advantage” (where you will be taken advantage of). Once you accept M”A” and you have a pre-existing condition, forget trying to get the supplement. You are stuck.
Even state retirement systems might be participatory.
RRA is a Retiree Reimbursement Arrangement (aka Retrospective Rate Agreement) in this example with UnitedHealthgroup and Arizona State Retirement System refers to the health reimbursement benefit offered by UnitedHealthgroup (managed by Optum) to members of the Arizona State Retirement System. Please note these proceeds are not subject to the purview or oversight of the Arizona state legislator.
Also check out
Sunlightreportinsurance
For-profit private health insurance industry is also contributing tremendously to state and federal elections.
Check out AMAC they just put out an article on their news line about a RP cashing in on the shut down ! AMAC is a conservative, senior citizens organization! JV💥🤗
I'm firmly opposed to MA in general, but I've also seen how truly committed AARP is to its mission of protecting seniors (I volunteer for them in NH), so I have a question that can probably only be answered by someone with your network:
We've all heard the foul data on United's nasty prior auths, delays, denials etc. Is there a difference in its frequency between the consumers of AARP plans and of their other plans?
I'm looking for evidence that the lucrative AARP relationship might be providing some significant protection from United's nasty practices. I'd hope the difference would be substantial, but the first question is, does such data exist?
RP One thing not mentioned in the article is that in order to get a reduced premium on my AARP United Health Medicare Supplement Plan, I had to join AARP. I really did not want to join AARP, but did so for the reduction in premium.
The mere fact that that Medicare Advantage plans advantage the insurer and disadvantage the insured is reason enough for AARP to either not lend its goodwill to United Health or to stop pretending to advocate for the best interest of seniors.
Corporations have no business interceding between the government and the taxpayer as a taxpayer claims their rightful benefits. We don't owe insurance companies a living, nor should we be giving them a cut of our hard-earned benefits. AARP, if it were a real advocate would take this position and lobby to get corporations out of the Medicare claims process.
And this is, absolutely, the most disruptive enrollment season in Medicare history, as the companies like UHC pull the plug on plans that were not profitable enough.
These kinds of marketing deals are why I dropped my AARP membership long ago.
I opted for AARP/United Healthcare Medicare supplement just because of AARP’s reputation and the discount offered. The discount disappeared after the first year and premiums went up . Now I see I was duped by someone I trusted. Is this blood money worth my loss of trust now that it's being used to mislead people into worse coverage?
I think the regular AARP branded UnitedHealth Medicare supplement is still a good rate even after the initial discount ends. But definitely avoid all Medicare Advantage plans!
It is not (a good rate). We are seeing rate increases up to 40% this year on those plans.
https://www.youtube.com/live/StAfw5dBqEo?si=JGBkPnc3MknmOfQe
AARP has betrayed us.
AARP has always been a money making machine masked as a non-profit and has also been notoriously politically biased.
I would encourage anyone with the means to stick with traditional Medicare plus Part D, plus anBlue Cross supplemental policy. That’s the best healthcare insurance in the world. I also recommend high quality long term care insurance.
I had all that when I had the means. Now that I don’t, I have Medicare Advantage through Blue Cross and I am surprisingly satisfied. I just stress tested it with a 6 day hospitalization and so far so good, although I haven’t seen the bills yet.
You can get a Medicare Plan G supplement from Allstate or American Heritage at age 65, and no preexisting conditions apply. It’s age based, and exactly like the INSCO Plan Gs. Mine was ~1K for the whole year for 2025.It’s higher (1300$) this year- thanks Repubs- but still lower than any INSCO PlanGs.
We do not have to support United/BlueCross/Cigna/Aetna as Medicare recipients.
But, you need an insurance broker who does not get paid by INSCOs to even hear about these other Plan Gs. (They are listed in the book they mail out to 64 year olds, but it was another Substacker who got me to look into these plans, and a broker I paid who advised me they are actually better plans).
If you go Medicare Disadvantage and decide later to go traditional Medicare, premiums are not age based and will be exorbitant. Don’t do it!
Doctors are opting out of MA so you’ll be seeing docs in a narrow network- and MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering and Mayo Clinic are definitely not in network!
Tell your friends!
It’s not just the money involved with leaving the MA plan later; it’s more about IF you can even get a plan. Once you are outside of that seven month window surrounding your 65th birthday, pre existing conditions can apply. Federal law requires insurance companies that provide supplemental insurance to provide identical coverage in all states. However, they are not required to provide a policy to you if you have pre existing conditions outside the 7 month window. They may, but you will have to pay the price for it or pay the extra 20% yourself without a supplement.
Not accurate.
Pre-existing condition limitations means a plan would take you but for six months would exclude coverage for conditions you had before coming in.
Medical Underwriting is the proper term. If you are accepted into a Medigap plan through Underwriting, nothing is excluded from that point forward.
Also, getting a Medigap plan later costs no different than anyone else in that same zip code, age, and plan. They are not rated based on your age (some states do allow for up to a 10% additional premium based on excessive weight, though.)
And Underwriting is not difficult at all. I have helped over 15,000 people in 50 states go through the process easily. Here is how it works:
http://SeniorSavingsNetwork.org/underwritten
FWIW, a Supplement (Medigap) is not Medicare Advantage.
It’s very easy to be duped into Medicare “Advantage” (where you will be taken advantage of). Once you accept M”A” and you have a pre-existing condition, forget trying to get the supplement. You are stuck.
Not stuck if your broker knows what they're doing.
Underwriting is not difficult at all. I have helped over 15,000 people in 50 states go through the process easily. Here is how it works:
http://SeniorSavingsNetwork.org/underwritten
AARP is about cashing in on Golden years.
Even state retirement systems might be participatory.
RRA is a Retiree Reimbursement Arrangement (aka Retrospective Rate Agreement) in this example with UnitedHealthgroup and Arizona State Retirement System refers to the health reimbursement benefit offered by UnitedHealthgroup (managed by Optum) to members of the Arizona State Retirement System. Please note these proceeds are not subject to the purview or oversight of the Arizona state legislator.
Also check out
Sunlightreportinsurance
For-profit private health insurance industry is also contributing tremendously to state and federal elections.
Is there an advocacy for seniors/health care you can recommend since AARP clearly ain't it?
Hi and please try reading PCOA weekly bulletin (Pima Council on Aging)
Check out AMAC they just put out an article on their news line about a RP cashing in on the shut down ! AMAC is a conservative, senior citizens organization! JV💥🤗
AMAC is just an insurance agency selling Medicare plans, too. Ask me how I know.
https://youtu.be/ej5zvW_io7U?si=YxFSNEzkD5RIiRJ3
Thank you very much for this.
I'm firmly opposed to MA in general, but I've also seen how truly committed AARP is to its mission of protecting seniors (I volunteer for them in NH), so I have a question that can probably only be answered by someone with your network:
We've all heard the foul data on United's nasty prior auths, delays, denials etc. Is there a difference in its frequency between the consumers of AARP plans and of their other plans?
I'm looking for evidence that the lucrative AARP relationship might be providing some significant protection from United's nasty practices. I'd hope the difference would be substantial, but the first question is, does such data exist?
RP One thing not mentioned in the article is that in order to get a reduced premium on my AARP United Health Medicare Supplement Plan, I had to join AARP. I really did not want to join AARP, but did so for the reduction in premium.
The mere fact that that Medicare Advantage plans advantage the insurer and disadvantage the insured is reason enough for AARP to either not lend its goodwill to United Health or to stop pretending to advocate for the best interest of seniors.
Corporations have no business interceding between the government and the taxpayer as a taxpayer claims their rightful benefits. We don't owe insurance companies a living, nor should we be giving them a cut of our hard-earned benefits. AARP, if it were a real advocate would take this position and lobby to get corporations out of the Medicare claims process.
And this is, absolutely, the most disruptive enrollment season in Medicare history, as the companies like UHC pull the plug on plans that were not profitable enough.
https://youtu.be/99Qhcf_doaQ?si=sJJ8APa57zIKwnV5