Q: I will be retiring in August 2010 under CSRS. I am 55 years old. I will be keeping my FEHB coverage. Currently, my wife is covered under my FEHB plan and she is 49 years old. When I reach the age of 65, I realize that I will be covered by Medicare as my primary health provider, while my FEHB plan will be my secondary health plan. My question is, Will my wife continue to be under FEHB plan as her primary provider? Which health plan will cover my wife? A: Since she won’t be old enough to qualify…
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My readers seem to be confused about two types of annuities: postponed and deferred. I think the misunderstanding arises because they are using the terms interchangeably. Let me explain the difference, which is a big one. Postponed annuity A postponed annuity is one where you retire after meeting the age and service requirements and postpone the receipt of your annuity until a later date. This option is only available to employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System who have reached their minimum retirement age (MRA) and have at least 10 years of creditable service. If you retire under the MRA+10…
Q: I have six years of military service before I entered government service, and I have six years under FERS. I am 6C law enforcement with cover of 1.7 percent a year. Can I retire with 20 years of service, combining all those years, and defer my retirement without reaching my MRA? Can I retire with 20 years of service, combining all those years, and defer my retirement without reaching my MRA? Can I take a deferred retirement after 20 years plus a day and start collecting when I am 60 without been penalized 5 percent for every year that…
Q. I am a federal employee with both CSRS and FERS pension plans. If I die before I retire, will my husband collect my pension? Will my husband will be covered under a federal health care plan? A: Yes, he will receive a survivor annuity based on your service. He will be covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits program if he was covered by it on the date you die. If he wasn’t covered under the FEHB, he won’t be able to enroll in it as a survivor.
Q: I am a Postal Service employee with 25 years of service. My question is, does a civilian federal employee receive full health benefits upon retirement or do they have to purchase a plan? How about retired postal employees? A: If you were enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program for the full five years before you retire, you can carry that coverage into retirement. If you weren’t, you can’t carry that coverage into retirement, nor may you enroll in the FEHB program after you retire. Note: Because you are a Postal Service employee, your premiums would be higher…
Q: I am a 78-year-old federal employee and will retire at the end of this year. Medicare has been deducted from my paycheck for several years now. As I understand it, I am only eligible to benefit from Part A, which I also understand to be cost-free. As long as I am working, I cannot benefit from Part B. Why have I been charged for a plan that I cannot benefit from? I also carry federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield. After retirement, my BCBS premiums will remain the same, and I am wondering if it is advantageous to continue to pay…
Q: I am under the Federal Employees Retirement System and have worked for the Veterans Affairs Administration for 25 years. How long can I be gone from VA (in consecutive months) and then come back to still have all of my benefits in place? A: While your spouse could be covered within 31 days of her loss of coverage under a non-federal health plan while you are still employed, that is not as clearly an option if you are retired. However, you could add her to your plan during any annual open season. There is no requirement that your spouse…
Q: I am a postal carrier being offered an early out. Will I be able to carry my health insurance if I have only been enrolled for three consecutive years? I have been a carrier for 31 years. I was enrolled in Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan for the first 19 years. I opted out and was covered by my husband’s plan for the next nine years. I then reinstated three years ago at age 50 to qualify for the five-year requirement for health insurance. A: Yes, you will. Because you were enrolled in the FEHB program before your agency’s…