Q. I retired from the IRS when I was 58. I will be 65 in a couple of months. My wife and I have Blue Cross health benefits through my civil service retirement. Do I need to sign up for Medicare? Which part? Do my Blue Cross premiums remain the same? How much are the Medicare premiums? Are the Medicare premiums deducted from my civil service retirement?
A. You should sign up for Medicare Part A because you already paid for it and you won’t have to pay any premiums. Whether or not you sign up for Part B is up to you. Regardless of whether you do or don’t sign up for Medicare, your FEHB premiums will remain the same. The premiums for Medicare Part B depend on your income level. To find out what yours would be, go to www.medicare.gov/cost.
