Q. I will be 65 on Dec. 2 and will then be eligible for Medicare. I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield now, and premiums are taken out of my FERS annuity check. I would like to continue to carry BC/BS via Part B when I am eligible for Medicare. Do I need to contact BC/BS to let them know this? Can you help me with a contact phone number? Also, I understand my insurance premiums will come out of my Social Security payment rather than my FERS annuity payment. This should cause my FERS annuity to go up (since insurance premiums are no longer taken out) and my Social Security payment to go down (because insurance premiums will now be taken out). Am I understanding this correctly?
A. No, you don’t have to let your Federal Employees Health Benefits plan know that you will be covered by Medicare Part A and enrolling in Part B. When you turn 65, you only need to let your health care providers know that. They’ll handle everything from there on. As you noted, your Part B premiums will be deducted from your Social Security benefit; however, your FEHB premiums will continue to be deducted from your FERS annuity.
