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?
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Q. I am a FERS employee with 14 years service, age 53. Tired of the pay freeze and “no money for promotions” line. Also tired of doing the jobs of higher paid co-workers while they call in sick two to three days a week. If I resign, can I take my FERS and Thrift Savings Plan in one lump sum and walk away? I am also a military retiree and have my pension and Tricare health care plans from that, so that is not a concern. Understanding the tax hit, will I just receive what I contributed, or the fed matching,…
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. My wife is a retiring federal civilian employee (Federal Employees Health Benefits) and just won her military retirement appeal, which should make her eligible for Tricare. As the spouse, did I have to be covered under her FEHB coverage for five years to be eligible myself? And are there similar requirements for Tricare?
Q. I am a military retiree and have been using my retired Tricare Prime for health insurance for past 15 years. I have been hired as a GS. I am planning to elect not to accept Federal Employees Health Benefits and solely rely on Tricare Prime. Is that an option and what are their implications?
Q. I am a federal worker with 30 years of service. During the entire time, except for two years, I have had Tricare insurance. When I retire, must I have had federal insurance to qualify for insurance from the federal government. If yes, for how long before retirement?
Q. I will be turning 65 next month. I have Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage. I just enrolled for Medicare Part B. I am a retired reservist. I intend to enroll in Tricare for Life. DEERS requires that I disenroll from FEHB to enroll in Tricare for Life when I start Part B coverage My HR person has no idea whether I can drop my FEHB. Where can I get definitive information on this issue (disenrolling from FEHB at 65) to show HR?
Q. I was on Blue Cross/Blue Shield for 15 years through my husband’s employment with a city, but the city contracted with Coventry Health Care instead, about one year and two months ago. I have also been with Tricare (formerly CHAMPUS) through my husband’s retirement from the Navy in 1993. We are divorcing after 37 years of marriage, and I would like to switch to BC/BS in FEHB through my federal employment. If I retire before I have vested five years in BC/BS, will I not be able to take it into retirement? Someone told me that if I had…
Q. I am a retired Postal Service employee but still carry my insurance as I need it for my wife. She is going on Medicare on June 1. I would like to keep single coverage for me. Is this possible, and how would I go about doing this? My group number is 40240 and my member number is 000687531.
Q: I will become eligible for Tricare in March. Is there a need for me to continue coverage with FEHBP and if not, can I drop my coverage before the end of the fiscal year? I don’t turn 60 until March, which is when I become officially retired from the military reserve. A: You can apply to suspend your FEHB coverage at any time. To do that, you must submit a completed suspension form and provide necessary documentation to show eligibility for Tricare or CHAMPVA during the period beginning 31 days before and ending 31 days after the date you…