Q. I retired from the IRS when I was 58. I will be 65 in a couple of months. My wife and I have Blue Cross health benefits through my civil service retirement. Do I need to sign up for Medicare? Which part? Do my Blue Cross premiums remain the same? How much are the Medicare premiums? Are the Medicare premiums deducted from my civil service retirement? A. You should sign up for Medicare Part A because you already paid for it and you won’t have to pay any premiums. Whether or not you sign up for Part B is…
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Q. My wife retired on disability 2½ years ago after 26 years of federal service because of dementia. She has other health issues. Recently, we received a letter and a “Welcome to Medicare” brochure. We are very happy with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida. Can she refuse to go on Medicare? And what is are advantages of going on Medicare? A. There are no arguments in favor of turning down Medicare Part A. She already paid for it through payroll deductions while working. You need to look at her Federal Employees Health Benefits brochure to see what the effect would…
Q. I’m getting married, and my husband is already 65. Can I still put him under my health insurance, or does he have to stay with Medicare? A. Yes, you can change your coverage from self only to self and family. If you are an employee, you can do that within 60 days after your change in family status under code 1C in the Table of Permissible Changes. If you are a retiree, you can do it from 31 days before through 60 days after the change under code 2B.
Q. I will be retiring next year after 31 years from CSRS. I am not eligible for Social Security. Am I eligible for Medicare parts A and B at age 65? A. While you aren’t eligible for Medicare Part A, you will be able to enroll in Medicare Part B.
Q. I will be 65 in November and will have Medicare. I will keep Blue Cross/Blue Shield as my supplement. Will my BC/BS federal employee premiums go down? I am a retired FERS employee, and I receive an annuity from which my premiums are deducted. A. No, your premium payments will remain the same.
Q. My husband, who is retired from the Postal Service, turned 65 on Aug. 31. I am on his Blue Cross/Blue Shield and am still working full time at age 49. Now that he is 65, what does keeping the BC/BS health insurance cost per month? If he decides to go on Medicare, can I stay on this plan? A. When he enrolls in Medicare, his premiums will remain the same. However, because he is retired, Medicare will be primary and his Federal Employees Health Benefits plan secondary. You will continue to be covered by the self-and-family option of his…
Q. I retired from FERS on Dec. 31, 2006, and returned to work on May 10, 2009. I am receiving both my salary and my full annuity. Both Medicare and Social Security are being deducted from my paychecks, which is fine. I am receiving my full entitlements from Medicare and Social Security. I am 70 years old. Will my benefits be re-evaluated when I return to retirement status, which will be on or around May 10, 2014? Also, as a retired annuitant, will my sick leave be adjusted to my time in service, and will I be able to draw…
Q. I retired from the federal government at age 55 with survivor benefits for my husband, who is eight years younger than I am. I will be eligible for Medicare on Dec. 1. If I opt for the Medicare parts A and B, can I reduce the costs of Blue Cross/Blue Shield by going from family plan, which covers both of us, to the single plan for him only? A. Not unless he is a federal employee or retiree and, as such, eligible to enroll on his own.
Q. Does Medicare Part B cover the shingles shot? My doctor has recommended I get one, but the cost is $250. A. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Medicare Part B does not cover the shingles vaccine. If you have private insurance or Medicaid, your plan may or may not cover the vaccine; contact your insurer to find out.”
Q. My wife and I are both federal employees. I am CSRS and she is FERS. Since 2009, I have carried “family” health coverage that is deducted from my CSRS paycheck to cover our health insurance needs. Prior to 2009, she carried her own federal health insurance. She has had no break in federal service (health care coverage) between 1988 and August 2012. Should I precede my wife in death, how much spousal retirement benefit should I leave her so she can continue to receive full federal health insurance benefits? I have been told that all I have to leave…