Medicare Part D Express Scripts to Cigna involuntary conversion - problem

I just noticed how the involuntary conversion to Cigna changed my previous insurance selection under Express Scripts has impacted my premium.  Under Express Scripts I had a low cost plan as my drug prescriptions are mostly low cost generics.  I just naturally expected that this would carry over in the conversion.  Not!  They upgraded my policy to the highest premium and I had not noticed the change until today.  The premium doubled.  Fortunately I had already baled out of the Cigna insurance into United Healthcare Insurance yesterday and wound up where I wanted to be.

Has anyone else noticed this change or perhaps there is a logical explanation for this unexpected change that I am unaware.  It just seems to be a slimy trick to me.  Anyway, tomorrow is December 7, the last date for you to change insurance in the time period allotted this year.

My Part D coverage, supplied by my retirement system, has changed.  Where we previously had a low co-pay for all medications, we now have to pay 25% of the cost of all approved medications.  Pats A and B are also more expensive: Deductibles we never had before.  Copay for hospitalization much higher.  This may be due to changes in original Medicare coverage, rising health and medication costs, impact of COVID on health care, or need to be comparable to a new plan the employer wants to switch all of us to so that more retirees will opt to switch to the new plan.

The 2022 Social Security Medicare deduction is going up 14.55%, about 2 1/2 times the increase in the COLA benefit increase.

I'm sure a lot of that is due to increases COVID medical costs. A cost made a lot worse by those who have refused vaccination. The elderly should "appropriately" thank them. They have taken money out of your pockets. 

RTrent said:

The 2022 Social Security Medicare deduction is going up 14.55%, about 2 1/2 times the increase in the COLA benefit increase.

I'm sure a lot of that is due to increases COVID medical costs. A cost made a lot worse by those who have refused vaccination. The elderly should "appropriately" thank them. They have taken money out of your pockets. 

Actually, much of the cost is related to profiteering on a new Alzheimer's medication called Aduhelm.  It's just yet another example of why we need to take the profit out of the healthcare system or at least negotiate prescription pricing.

Steve said:

Actually, much of the cost is related to profiteering on a new Alzheimer's medication called Aduhelm.  It's just yet another example of why we need to take the profit out of the healthcare system or at least negotiate prescription pricing.

That's not what I was told. But they could be wrong.

Do you have a breakdown of Medicare by drug or service? Also, wouldn't the drug be primarily a part D cost whereas the 14.55% increase is not part D? Unless the drug is given by infusion whereupon I think some cost shifts to primary Medicare.

Anyway, I agree that Medicare needs to be able to negotiate prices. The hypocrisy of some touting the wonders of free enterprise and our capitalistic economic system while denying the right to negotiate.

My understanding is that Aduhelm will be a very serious cost issue coming up but not yet. Not enough scripts written yet. 

Thank god the polio vaccine was invented long time ago. Were it invented now I suspect they would charge   20,000 a shot. 

Google it.  It will be administered in the doctor's office.  Thus, it's part B.  Totally nuts.

Steve said:

Google it.  It will be administered in the doctor's office.  Thus, it's part B.  Totally nuts.

AND...I have seen estimates that up to 50% of the Part B premium increase is due to this non-proven, experimental drug. That's over $10 of the ~$21 increase in the Part B premium.

Well this seems to have gone off track of my original thought.  The point I made is that Cigna has been trying to place existing customers into a plan that is a higher cost alternative than originally agreed to.

Yes, I am aware that medical prices are increasing in general, but I was warning of what I see as a Cigna scam.  And now there are only a few hours left for those people affected to correct the situation.

Dennis_Seelbach said:

AND...I have seen estimates that up to 50% of the Part B premium increase is due to this non-proven, experimental drug. That's over $10 of the ~$21 increase in the Part B premium.

This is what I got:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) credited much of the costs for Medicare Part B to:

• COVID-19 care spending
• conditions from Congress to pay back the decreased premium increases from 2021
• the requirement to build reserves to cover unexpected increases in healthcare costs

https://coveragehaven.com/medicare-part-b-increases-in-2022/

The reserves build is because of the possible cost of that new drug. I think its crazy they are pre-charging seniors for a cost that hasn't happened and may not happen.

The COLA CPI-W formula for seniors soc sec COLA is flawed. They should instead be using CPI-E, the consumer price index for the elderly.