Q: I am a postal retiree and I have my wife on my hospital coverage. When I die, will she be able to keep the APWU health plan, and what will be her cost. A: If your widow is receiving a survivor annuity based on your employment, she can continue that coverage. For that coverage, she would pay self-only premiums instead of the self-and-family premiums you pay now.
Browsing: HEALTH INSURANCE
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…
Q. My mother just came to me and showed me her Social Security statement. She asked: “Why are they deducting $96.50 for monthly Medicare insurance when I have full medical coverage from the Navy?” She is an 86-year-old Navy veteran, and my father, who passed away three years ago, was retired from the Navy. Is this something she should be paying? A. She appears to have signed up for Medicare Part B (medical insurance), for which she would be required to pay the premiums.
Q. I plan to retire in a few years. I am currently 67 years old, participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield and am enrolled in Medicare Part A, which is free and required at 65. I do not wish to participate in Medicare Part B because, from the way I see it, I would be paying for two primary insurers even when I retire. Am I entitled to continue with my FEHB as my primary coverage, and would I be entitled to the same choices as though I were still working for the…
Q. I am 62, and will be retiring from the Postal Service within three months, rather unexpectedly. We will be continuing with my current Blue Cross Blue Shield plan for annuitants. My wife is 65, and declined Medicare Part B since I was still working. Will it be necessary for her to sign up for Part B, or will the continued Federal Employees Health Benefit plan suffice? A. She doesn’t have to sign up for Medicare Part B. However, before she makes up her mind, the two of you need to weigh the potential costs and benefits of that decision.…
Q. I have been receiving workers’ comp benefits since 1981. I have no Civil Service Retirement System benefits available, as I withdrew my contributions when I was separated from service. I am now 65 years old and have applied for Medicare. I have maintained my Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance through the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. There is now a dispute as to whether that insurance is primary or Medicare is primary. The question seems to revolve around the following question: Am I “retired” or am I still employed? Do you know the answer? A: Workers’ compensation is an income…
Q. I am covered under my wife’s Blue Cross/Blue Shield federal plan, even though we both retired from the Postal Service. I am now on Medicare, and Medicare is my primary health coverage (I have plans A and B), with BCBS being secondary. My wife is 62. My question is: Should my wife’s (our) BCBS coverage premium be reduced since BCBS is now secondary and not covering me like it did before I went on Medicare? A. No. There isn’t any provision in law that would permit that.
Q. I retired from the military with 20 years of active duty, and receive a military retirement. I currently work as a civil service employee and am considering paying my military deposit to increase my civil service retirement. My question is: If I waive my military retirement pay to get the credit, what impact does it have on all my other military retiree benefits? I do know I still must make Survivor Benefits Plan payments if I don’t elect the SBP through civil service, but what about Tricare for Life, commissary, exchange, etc.? A. Waiving your military retired pay will…
Q. I turned 65 on July 6, 2011. I was advised prior to my birthday that I did not need to sign up for Medicare Part A until my retirement in July 2012. Is this correct? I am covered by a group policy at this time. A. While you don’t need to sign up for Medicare Part A, I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t want to do that. Although you will continue to have deductions taken from your salary to pay for that benefit, you wouldn’t have to pay any premiums for that coverage. If you did…
Q. I am a Civil Service Retirement System retiree approaching age 65. My wife and I have been covered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield Standard Option FEHB since retiring in 2002. My wife will not be eligible for Medicare until 2013, and she has never been employed by the federal government. Do I maintain my Federal Employees Health Benefit plan for both of us in order for her to be covered? Or is there some provision that will permit me to pay a Medicare Part B premium for my portion of the health care coverage out of my annuity while maintaining…