Editor's Rating
AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance provides strong coverage at a good value. Average costs are variable, and in addition to the standard benefits, plans provide discounted access to vision care, dental, hearing, fitness and more.
Our thoughts: Why we recommend AARP Medicare Supplement
Medicare Supplemental Insurance (also called Medigap) plans from AARP/UnitedHealthcare are a good choice for most people. The customer service rating is not as strong as that of some other companies. However, the wide range of policy selections makes it easy to choose the best plan for you, and the AARP endorsement can give you peace of mind.
They're some of the best Medicare Supplement plans available, and they're also the most popular plans, with about 32% of Medicare Supplement subscribers having an AARP/UnitedHealthcare plan.
Insurance customers must be AARP members, and you can join during your insurance application if you're not already a member. Membership costs are minimal at only $16 per year.
Costs for AARP Medigap insurance vary widely, ranging from about $60 to $300 per month. Getting a price quote based on your situation can help you understand if an AARP policy is the best deal for you.
Despite the large price differences, AARP Medicare Supplement plans are usually a good value. For example, a 65-year-old may pay slightly more for an AARP Medigap plan, but the slower age-based price increases could mean they'll have the cheapest plan when they're in their 80s and 90s. This reduces the total lifetime spending.
For those who want a discount on insurance, AARP Medigap offers low-cost alternatives that limit some coverage to in-network facilities and providers. These plans could save you $200 to $250 per year on your insurance costs, and with UnitedHealthcare's large network of providers, you may not see a meaningful impact on health care access.
Medigap costs vary by state
Costs for supplemental plans vary widely. To a large degree, this is due to state differences in pricing regulations.
Eight states prohibit cost increases based on age or health condition. Most other states are allowed to increase monthly costs as you get older. And there are three states that don’t follow the standard Medigap plan letters and have their own style of plans and pricing.
1. AARP Medigap costs in states where age doesn’t affect the price
In states with this pricing structure, insurance companies aren’t allowed to use your age to increase your monthly costs. Your rates may increase over time based on inflation or industry changes, but in general, you can expect more stable pricing.
Average cost for AARP Medigap coverage
Plan | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Plan A | $158 |
| Plan B | $242 |
| Plan C | $288 |
| Plan F | $256 |
| Plan G | $193 |
| Plan G (1) | $173 |
| Plan K | $70 |
| Plan L | $136 |
| Plan N | $167 |
| Plan N (1) | $150 |
2. AARP Medigap costs in states where age affects pricing
In states with this pricing structure, the average monthly cost for the AARP Medigap Plan G is $124 per month for someone who is 65 years old. At age 75, the average monthly premium is $199, and it's $209 for those aged 85.
For Plan K, our recommendation for a cheap Medicare Supplement plan, the monthly costs range from $58 to $98.
AARP/UnitedHealthcare price increases are based on what it calls an enrollment discount.
- From age 65 to 68, customers are given a 39% discount.
- Then, the discount is reduced by three percentage points each year until age 81.
- After age 81, you'll pay the standard rate without any extra age-related price changes.
This pricing structure is unique to AARP, and sample Medigap policies from Humana have a steady 3% increase each year.
Age 65
Age 75
Age 85
Age 65
Age 75
Age 85
Data notes:
3. AARP Medigap costs in states with alternative plans
Medicare Supplement plans in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin have different structures. Rather than the typical plan letters and benefits, these states use alternative plan names. Below are the average costs for AARP Medicare Supplement plans for a 65-year-old female nonsmoker in these states. Note that Minnesota and Massachusetts don’t allow price increases by age, but Wisconsin does.
- Minnesota (Basic and Extended Basic plans): $192-$239
- Massachusetts (Core and Supplemental 1A plans): $123-$172
- Wisconsin (Basic plan and Basic plan with copayments): $86-$126
How AARP Medigap costs compare to other insurance companies
Because of the variable plan structures, it can be difficult to compare costs, and the most accurate comparison will be based on insurance quotes for your location and situation. In states where prices change as you age, the different formulas for price increases can affect your total lifetime costs. For example, a 65-year-old woman may pay more for AARP Medicare Supplement than for a similar plan from Humana or BlueCross BlueShield. However, in this case, AARP plans have slower price increases. By age 85, AARP Medigap is cheaper than Humana, Cigna and BlueCross BlueShield.
To understand how aging will affect your costs, you can request multiple price quotes to discover the best deal now and for decades to come.
How do AARP Medicare Supplement plans work?
When you buy an AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance plan, you’re actually getting a policy from UnitedHealthcare. As part of the business agreement, AARP endorses and does marketing for select UnitedHealthcare plans, and in turn, AARP gets an estimated 4.95% fee for each plan sold.
Medigap policies give you extra benefits on top of Original Medicare (Parts A and B). These supplemental plans can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses by covering deductibles, coinsurance or other medical expenses. The level of coverage will depend on the plan you select.
For example, if the cost of a doctor's visit is $200, Medicare Part B could pay $100 of the bill. Then through a crossover billing practice, your AARP Medigap plan could pay an extra $75 of the bill. Then, you'll be responsible for any remaining cost, only paying $25 for the $200 doctor's visit.
What type of coverage can you get?
The benefits of Medicare Supplement plans are standardized across all companies. This means a Plan G from AARP will offer the same health care benefits as a Plan G from another company. This standardization makes it easy to compare plans, and the Medigap coverage chart from Medicare.gov can help you select the right plan for your needs.
You can sign up for a Medigap policy when you first become eligible for Medicare or during open enrollment. AARP/UnitedHealthcare offers all available Medigap plan letters. However, available plans may vary by location and Medicare qualification date.
- What it covers: All Medigap plans cover some portion of out-of-pocket costs (deductibles and coinsurance) for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Medicare Part B (medical insurance).
- What it doesn’t cover: A supplemental plan will not cover prescription drugs. For that, you’ll need a separate Medicare Part D plan, and AARP/UnitedHealthcare ranks as the easiest-to-use Medicare Part D provider.
What unique features do AARP Medigap plans have?
Even though the major medical benefits of AARP plans will be the same as those offered by other insurance companies, AARP Medigap plans offer access to extra programs, adding value. AARP Medigap subscribers also get:
- Vision: Discounted eye exams, glasses and contacts (AARP Vision Discount).
- Dental: Discounted rate of 30%-40% on select services through Dentegra.
- Hearing: Discounted screenings and hearing aids (HearUSA).
- 24/7 nurse line: Ability to call a registered nurse with questions about your health, medication costs and more.
- Fitness: Free gym membership where available (Renew Active by UnitedHealthcare). AARP insurance stopped offering SilverSneakers in 2019.
- Mental sharpness: Brain health games and activities (AARP Staying Sharp).
- Driver safety: Safe driving course, which could help you reduce your car insurance rates.
Customer reviews and satisfaction
AARP/UnitedHealthcare has mediocre customer reviews with several metrics indicating user complaints and frustrations.
Across all of its divisions, UnitedHealth Group has a slightly higher rate of complaints when compared to a typical insurer of its size. The company's complaint index from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is 1.22, which means that there's about a 22% higher rate of complaints than is typical.
When specifically looking at UnitedHealthcare Medicare Supplement plans, the NAIC reports that about 90% of complaints deal with claim handling.
On Better Business Bureau (BBB), both UnitedHealthcare and AARP get an A+ rating, but their online customer reviews on the platform are low, scoring 1.06 to 1.28 out of 5. Common complaints about AARP include junk mail, poor customer service and aggressive marketing.
UnitedHealthcare also ranks in the bottom third of providers in J.D. Power's survey on customer satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans. Although plans for Medicare Advantage are administered separately from Medicare Supplement Insurance, the poor customer service ranking provides telling insight.
However, UnitedHealthcare has a strong ability to pay its claims. It's one of the , and it has earned strong financial ratings from AM Best with an A (excellent) score.
Frequently asked questions
Is AARP supplemental insurance good?
A supplemental insurance plan from AARP/UnitedHealthcare is a good value. It can help you reduce your out-of-pocket costs for medical care, and it includes discounts on vision, dental, hearing, gym membership and more.
Is AARP the same as UnitedHealthcare?
An AARP Medicare policy gives you insurance through UnitedHealthcare. There is a business agreement between the two companies where AARP provides marketing and endorsement in exchange for a portion of what customers pay.
Does AARP pay the Medicare deductible?
Deductible coverage will vary based on the plan you choose. The Medicare Part A deductible is fully covered by Medigap Plan B, D, G and N, and it's partially covered by Plan K, L and M.
Both the Medicare Part A and Part B deductible is fully covered by Medigap plans C and F. However, these two supplemental plans are only available to those who were eligible for Medicare before 2020.
What is AARP Medicare Supplement Plan F?
Medicare Supplement Plan F has the highest enrollment and very strong coverage, but it's only available to those who were eligible for Medicare before 2020. If you qualify, you can sign up for Plan F during the annual open enrollment period. If you don't qualify, we recommend Plan G for the best overall coverage.
Sources and methodology
The above comparisons are based on plan coverage levels, policy details, third-party rankings and sample cost data for 2021. Price quotes for a female nonsmoker were based on age, location and provider. Sources include Medicare.gov, AARP, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Cigna, BlueCross BlueShield, the Better Business Bureau, J.D Power and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Data notes:
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Invitations for application for insurance may be made through QW Insurance Solutions, LLC ("QWIS"), a subsidiary of QuoteWizard.com, LLC ("QuoteWizard"), a LendingTree subsidiary, or through its designated agents, only where licensed and appointed. Licensing information for QWIS can be found here. QWIS is a non-government licensed health insurance agency. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.
Callers to QWIS will be directed to a licensed and certified representative of Medicare Supplement insurance and/or Medicare Advantage HMO, HMO SNP, PPO, PPO SNP and PFFS organizations. Calls to QWIS will be routed to a licensed agent who can provide you with further information about the insurance plans offered by one or more third-party partners of QWIS. Each of the organizations they represent has a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any plan depends on contract renewal.
Availability of benefits and plans varies by carrier and location and may be limited to certain times of the year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. QWIS does not offer every plan available in your area. Any information provided is limited to those plans offered in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
Deductibles, copays, coinsurance, limitations, and exclusions may apply.
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Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.