Q. I am a retired CSRS employee (10 years) and will turn 65 next month. I qualify for Medicare parts A and B. I have talked to my current Federal Employees Health Benefits provider, and there is very little savings for me in taking Part B. I can stay status quo with my FEHB if I have Part A. If I take Part B, I would have to pay more than $200 per month to Medicare. If I only take Part A and defer B at this time, do I have “credible government coverage” to add it at a later date? Additionally, if I want to change my health plan in the future, would all FEHBs only require Part A like mine, or would some require both A and B?
A. You could add Medicare Part B at a later date, but you would have to pay 10 percent more for every year you could have had that coverage and didn’t. No FEHB plan can require you to be covered by Part B.
