Q. I have approximately 34 years with the federal government. I am under CSRS. I have paid for Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance since I was initially employed. I will be retiring within the next couple of months. While employed, the government has paid for a large portion of my health insurance premiums, and I pay a much smaller portion. When I retire, will the same paying cenario continue, i.e., the government pays a large portion and I continue paying a smaller portion?
A. There won’t be any change in the percentage of premiums shared by you and the government when you retire, unless you are an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. As a result of of collective bargaining agreements, the Postal Service pays a higher percentage of the premiums of its employees, a subsidy that expires when they retire.