Q. I am a 66-year-old federal employee with 24 years of service whose office is offering buyouts to fix furlough woes we are experiencing. I am healthy and, while I would love to be able to retire, I am uncertain. We are being told if we take the buyout, we can get unemployment benefits and COBRA coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. Would this be a smart move for me?
Browsing: FEHBP
Q. I work as a carrier in Minnesota. I have 31 years and seven months in, including five years military. I am planning on retiring and moving to Wisconsin. How will that affect our health insurance? Do we sign up again in Wisconsin under the federal health plan?
Q. I may separate from federal service (Veterans Affairs Department) at age 62 with approximately 16 years of total service. I am CSRS offset. Am I able to postpone taking the annuity until I retire at age 65 or 66? Is there any advantage to postponing taking the annuity? I have been continuously covered by Federal Employees Health Benefits for six years or so. From what I read, if I am employed outside of the federal system, I can discontinue FEHB coverage until I fully retire, then “rejoin” FEHB at the time I retire. Is this correct?
Q. I am 58 years old, with 24 years with Veterans Affairs Health Care System in the Midwest at GS-6. I have multiple health conditions including several brain surgeries and don’t understand all the nuances with retirement. I have been told I’m eligible to retire in December 2014 with full benefits but would like to continue working until I’m at least 62 years old. I understand I can keep my Federal Employees Health Benefits insurance and life insurance after retirement. I have heard rumors of Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay or buyout at $25,000. I think I have several options of…
Q. My husband and I are both planning to retire in 2015 from civil service. We have Tricare. Having had Tricare for less than five years, can we add a Federal Employees Health Benefit now and still carry the FEHB when we retire in 2015?
Q. Do federal retirees have to elect for spousal annuity benefits for spouses to be eligible for Federal Employees Health Benefits upon retirement? If so, can the retiree elect to discontinue spousal annuity if the spouse obtains his/her own coverage after retirement? Does it vary between CSRS and FERS?
Q. My husband will retire next year under FERS and he is interested in working seasonally for the National Park Service. I realize his salary would likely be offset by the amount of his annuity. Is there any problem with doing this year after year? (e.g., work seasonally for four to six months, then be unemployed the rest of the year). Would it affect our federal benefits carried into retirement (e.g., FEHB, life insurance)?
Q. I am a 58-year-old FERS employee with 20 years seniority, planning to retire, and want to defer my annuity to age 60. Am I eligible to continue my current health benefits on COBRA for now, then get them reinstated when I start collecting my annuity at age 60?
Q. I have worked for the Postal Service for 25 years. I will be turning 50 years old in three months. If I choose to retire at the end of the year, would I be able to collect retirement benefits then, or do I have to wait until I am 56? I am under FERS. Also, would I get health benefits?
Q. I am a 66-year-old military retiree who has health insurance coverage under Medicare parts A & B and Tricare for Life. In addition, I retired under FERS, but I have never had individual Federal Employees Health Benefits because I have been covered under my wife’s (a FERS civil servant) family FEHB plan for 20 years. She is retiring in a month and plans to continue her FEHB policy for at least five years until she reaches age 65, when she is Medicare eligible. If my wife switches at retirement from a family to an individual FEHB plan, will I…