About AARP Health Care

AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons, offers a wide range of insurance and financial services to its members. One of the most important services is their supplemental health care coverage, sometimes called AARP's Health Care. Learning more about the role and use of supplemental health care, as well as the history of the AARP and its partner, is an important part of your health care insurance needs.

History

• The AARP was founded in 1958 upon the premise that retired persons can still lead an active and productive life as long as they have insurance they can afford. Toward that end, the AARP has negotiated with reputable companies to lower rates on all kinds of insurance from automobile to housing. The most recent agreement between the AARP and Secure Horizons has resulted in a supplemental insurance plan which is geared toward covering some expenses that Medicare does not cover.

Types

• There are several types of plans available through Secure Horizons that are based upon a variety of factors, including the state in which a member lives, the history of illness, and the plans chose. For example, though the plans offered by Secure Horizons has few, if any, exclusions based on pre-existing conditions, persons with ends stage renal disease (ESRD) may not be eligible to enroll in a plan. Also, a person living in Cincinnati, Ohio, has access to "AARP MedicareComplete Plus," "AARP MedicareComplete Plan 2," and "AARP MedicareComplete Essential" while a person living in Santa Barbara, California, has access only to "AARP Medicare Complete." Visit the AARP Health Care with Secure Horizons (below) for more information on specific plans and coverages available.

Significance

• The AARP's membership is comprised of people over 50 years of age, which prompted the AARP to seek solutions to the growing problem of health care for older citizens in America. Though the membership of the AARP is sharply divided on the long-term solution of health care, they were united in recognizing that health care costs were quickly spiraling out of control and the increases in medical costs was forcing some members to choose between living expenses and medical care. The result is an agreement with Secure Horizons which allows the member to pick and choose their additional coverage limits. Some plans include prescription medication coverage and premiums charged to the member. This is significant in that it allows the policy holder to customize the plan that is right for their medical needs as well as their economic situation.

Misconceptions

• The AARP Health Care plan is not a stand-alone plan where the AARP administers, or even influences, policies, medical coverage, and terms. Instead, it is a supplemental insurance plan that relies upon the member's eligibility for medicare. Also, Secure horizons is a separate entity that is licensing the AARP name as part of the agreement to provide affordable supplemental coverage. A member is not required to acquire supplemental coverage through Secure Horizons in order to remain a part of the AARP.

Considerations

• In considering the plans offered by Secure Horizons, the prospective policy holder will have two general decision to make regarding the type of service they will receive under the supplemental care provisions. First, the MedicareComplete Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) offers coverage within a specific network of doctors and other medical offices that are outlined in a service provider's handbook. The policy holder has limited choice in selecting physicians, but the cost is typically lower under an HMO plan than under other plans. This is because the health insurance provider has negotiated the price of all services before hand and there are no variables or surprises to account for.
  Second, the MedicareComplete Point-of-service (POS) plan offers coverage similar to the HMO, but with the added benefit that the policy holder may seek medical care outside the Health Maintenance network. This results in a wider variety of doctors available, but also in higher premiums since the proces are not typically negotiated before hand. Still, if a policy holder with a POS plan opts to go with a doctor that is "in network" the copay and other costs for the patient will generally be lower.