Q: I am a Civil Service Retirement System annuitant who will turn 65 soon. I have a Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. Must I sign up for Medicare Part B and/or Part D? What are the consequences if I don’t? Will my FEHB plan continue to cover my health care costs if I don’t sign up for Medicare? I have signed up for Part A because I paid for it over my working career.
A: No, you don’t have to sign up for Medicare Part B or Part D. Whether you should is a decision you’ll have to make. Your plan brochure has information about how benefits will be paid. Look for the following headings: “When you are age 65 or over and do not have Medicare,” and “When you have the Original Medicare Plan (Part A, B or both).” As for Part D, very few employees covered by an FEHB plan would have anything to gain by enrolling in it.
