Q. I am a widow of a retired federal government employee who was with the General Services Administration. I want to know if my current Federal Employees Health Benefits insurance plan with Blue Cross/Blue Shield will not be an option for me as my primary insurance once Obamacare takes effect?
Browsing: FEHBP
Q. I am 53 and eligible to retire as a GS-1811 FERS employee. All things being equal, I would prefer to work more years toward my mandatory retirement age of 57. If I retire this year, I would continue my Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage into retirement. If I wait until 2014 or later, I would be forced into the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) plan. Do you recommend retiring this year under FEHB or delaying into 2014 or beyond and becoming subjected to Obamacare? And do you know whether current retirees under FEHB will be forced over to Obamacare (or…
Q. I am a 58-year-old FERS employee with 14 years of service, and I will be removed for medical inability next month. I have carried self-plus-family Federal Employees Health Benefits for the past seven years. When I am removed, I will go on my wife’s insurance policy. However, if my disability is denied by the Office of Personnel Management, do I lose forever the ability to keep my federal health insurance because I allowed it to lapse pending OPM’s disability decision?
Q. I turn 65 on Oct. 28. I had 35 years at the Postal Service, and my plans are to keep my National Association of Letter Carriers insurance and turn down Medicare Part B and of course use my Part A. I understand I will have to pay a penalty of 10 percent for each year I don’t enroll in Part B. Whom do I contact to do this?
Q. I am a GS with the Veterans Affairs Department, but also retired military. I have used Tricare Prime as my insurance since I retired two years ago, but with the new changes to Tricare, I am in an area that is losing Tricare Prime on Oct. 1 and being reverted to Tricare Standard. I have a daughter with a medical condition that requires frequent physician follow-ups, and being placed on Tricare Standard alone scares me. Would loss of existing health insurance be a “qualifying event” for me to buy into a Federal Employees Health Benefits plan?
Q. I acquired 30 years of service in May and will reach my minimum retirement age in November. If I accept a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority or Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay prior to my MRA, I understand I will not receive the special retirement supplement until I reach my MRA. What about the 5 percent reduction per year prior to age 62? My Federal Employees Health Benefits will be fine as I’ve been enrolled all along, correct?
Q. I am a retired federal employee with over 35 years of service in the Department of Agriculture. I retired with Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance. Is it advisable to also take Medicare Part B? I am enrolled in Medicare Part A for hospital. I understand that if I take Part B now, I will pay a higher rate for not taking it immediately. I have not had any health issues to date.
Q. I am a 60-year-old FERS employee with 19 years and four months of service. I have 2,000 sick leave hours, which I know at Jan. 1, 2014, will get full credit. I have an opportunity to work in the private sector now with increased pay. Which is better: to retire now and receive my pension (although at a reduced rate) and maintain my enrollment in Federal Employees Health Benefits or to defer my annuity to age 62 and then re-enroll in FEHB?
Q. I’m about to turn 65, am a CSRS retiree, and receive Social Security annuity. I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield as my primary insurance, with Tricare as secondary. 1. Do my BC/BS premiums remain the same, or do they decrease? 2. Will my Medicare Part B premiums be taken out of my Social Security annuity? 3. I am being told that my Tricare coverage will be voided if I do not subscribe to Medicare Part B. Is this true? 4. Where/how do I sign up for Medicare coverage? I’ve received numerous advertisements from private companies in the mail which are…
Q. I am a retired postal worker covered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield federal employee program. I am also on Medicare. My wife just received her Medicare card. She is 65. I need your help in making a decision: Do I keep the health insurance I have, or do I apply for Medicare supplement plan?