Nothing like learning you’re not going to lose an additional $81 a month on a Friday afternoon. That was the good fortune of Georgia’s state retirees on UnitedHealthcare’s standard Medicare plans last Friday, according to the Department of Community Health.
The board had earlier voted to raise the rate, but reversed that decision last week. That was the only item on the agenda for the meeting. This mirrors the UnitedHealthcare insurance premium rates for state employees and teachers, which also did not increase for 2019.
When the rate increase was initially announced, some retirees on the plan accused the state of steering business to UnitedHealthcare’s competitor, Anthem Blue Cross.