Q. We are getting conflicting answers to a question. I am retired from Civil Service and have Blue Cross Blue Shield (high option), as well as Medicare Parts A and B. My husband is under my BCBS policy. He just turned 65 but will continue to work until 66. Can he apply for his Medicare card Parts A and B now? If yes, how and where? Medicare has not sent us paperwork. A. He can apply online at www.ssa.gov/medicareonly.
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Q. I am planning to retire overseas (probably in Panama) and will be eligible to keep my insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield). I understand that I will continue to pay my part of the insurance and that the federal government will continue to pay the rest. 1. Will the insurance cover me while I am living overseas? 2. What will happen when I turn 65? 3. Will all medical plans from all companies work the same way? A. If you are enrolled in an HMO, the answer in most cases is no, you won’t be covered if you are living…
Q. 1. Can someone switch from Blue Cross/Blue Shield to Medicare Part B at age 71? 2. Should it be done? 3. If yes, how can it be done, and what are the costs? I am 71 and self-employed (since 2011), covered under my wife’s federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan. My wife has been retired for a few years and she also turned 71 in 2012. My wife was just operated for a brain tumor and is being scheduled for radiation therapy and chemotherapy. A. While your wife could disenroll from the Federal Employees Health Benefits program and both of…
Q. I have six years in the Navy. I understand I can pay back/down those years for maximum retirement benefit. I’m 48 years old, have no savings and started this job to get on with planning for the future. I am a GS-7, step 1. I’m planning on contributing at least 5 percent a month of my pay, and I understand the Veterans Affairs Department will match 4 percent. I’d like to retire at 62ish. Here is a copy of my latest leave and earnings statement: ———————————————————————- Pay Period: 12-22 Name: ALLEN, TROY J Gross Pay 1,586.40 Federal Tax Amt Withheld 179.76…
Q. I am retired from the Postal Service. I am turning 66. If I pick up Medicare Part B, can I claim it on my taxes? How much in yearly salary can I earn if I go back to work? A. If you have reached your full Social Security retirement age, there is no limit on the amount you can earn. However, if you were to return to work for the federal government, in most cases your salary would be reduced by the amount of your annuity.
Q. Is there any way to figure out how much would be deducted from a Postal Service annuity check due to an early-out? I live in Jamaica, N.Y. Will they still deduct federal, state, Medicare, Social Security? A. Federal taxes will be deducted, but New York state taxes won’t. Neither will Medicare Part A or Social Security taxes. That’s because those two are only deducted from earnings, not annuities.
Q. I’m retired from the Postal Service, and I would like to know if the USPS offers supplement insurance through the Medicare D program? Will I need to go outside of the Postal Service for my supplement insurance? I turn 65 in January. A. Neither the Postal Service nor any other agency of government offers supplemental insurance. You’re on your own.
Q. How is Medicare Part B deducted if you have a federal pension? Does it work like Social Security? I am not 65 yet but would like to know how I get my premiums paid from my pension. A. The Social Security Administration can arrange to have your Medicare Part B premiums deducted from your annuity. When you approach your 65th birthday, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213. A benefits specialist will help you make the arrangement.
Q. I am following up a July 13 opinion about the allowable charges that FEHB plans can consider when a federal retiree incurs charges from a health care provider. The opinion states that FEHB must apply Medicare allowable rates in determining their plan’s benefits, and does not consider the “actual charge” from the provider. However, my reading of the Federal Register vol. 61, No. 189 (9/27/1996) is that the providers themselves cannot charge the retiree more than the Medicare allowable limits. Therefore, under the law as I understand it, it is illegal for the provider’s “actual charge” to exceed these…
Q. Can a retiree suspend his Federal Employees Health Benefits because of using the Veterans Affairs Department for care? They mention Tricare, Medicare, ChampVA and “other” programs but not VA. A. No.