Retirement: Pre-65 Health Insurance and Medicare Costs

  • 24th Oct 2026
  • 3 min read

More than one person has contacted me about the monthly premium increases coming for Corning Retiree Pre-65 Health Insurance. I've linked the 2027 increases here:

2027 Corning Retiree Pre-65 Health Insurance Costs

I also have the same page for the previous year (2026) increases, shared previously:

2026 Corning Retiree Pre-65 Health Insurance Costs

I did a quick spreadsheet to calculate the percent increases for the PPO:

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No I cannot explain why the increases for 2027 are so much more than previous years. I assume the reason the people with the most years of service receive the largest increases is because health insurance is somewhat age-based, but that's just a guess.

For the folks on Medicare, it might be worth looking at your coverage. We are currently in the "change period" which lasts until early December. What you can or cannot change, and how easy it can be, can depend on what state you reside in. I'm going to share a couple of my own experiences.

I'm following the traditional Medicare path. My AARP/UHC "medigap" Plan N monthly premium just went from $95.39 to $125.21 (31% increase). Here in North Carolina it would be challenging to change that selection now, because any new insurance company would want to review my medical records and decide what sort of risk I might be. They could deny taking me. I believe "risk" gets worse as we age, so changing plans would become more and more difficult.

My current Medicare Part D drug plan is with AARP/UHC. This can be changed yearly during the annual change window without much trouble. I received an ANOC (annual notice of change) that showed my monthly premium would be changing from $56.90 to $150.20 (164% increase). I went to the Medicare website and followed this process:

  1. Entered my prescription drug list, including dosage and frequency.
  2. I selected our favorite local pharmacies, plus the mail-order option.
  3. I told the Medicare site to "find plans".

My cheapest plan option was Wellcare Value Script, with a monthly premium of $5.30. My 3 drugs all covered. Same pharmacy choices.

My mother lives in New York State. Her AARP/UHC Part D drug plan monthly premium was changing from $105.80 to $174.50 in 2027. I went through the same process and signed her up for Wellcare Classic. Her 2027 monthly premium will be $40.30. Same pharmacy, which was important to her and my sister.

I suppose there's some risk with changing pharmacy plans. The cheapest option may cover your drugs today, but a medical event could require some new, expensive medication that might not be on the cheap plan formulary. If that happens, you'll pay up to the Medicare Part D catastrophic limit for the year, and you'll have a chance to change plans again the following year.