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.…
Browsing: Medicare
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 68 and still working. I am fully covered by my employer’s insurance. My employer is switching our health insurance to a health savings account in 2012. You cannot contribute to a HSA if you have Medicare Part A. I have Medicare Part A. Should I drop Part A, to enroll in the HSA, or will I be penalized later when I retire and re-enroll in Part A? A. I don’t know if it makes sense for you to disenroll from Medicare Part A. Before you decide, you need to understand a few things. First, if your employer…
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…
Q. I am a federal annuitant and have Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan 105 for myself and my spouse. We also subscribe to Medicare Part B. Since there are overlaps between Medicare Part B and FEHBP, I am considering stopping Medicare Part B. How do I do a cost-benefit analysis of retaining vs. stopping Medicare Part B? Also, please let me know about which state and federal help agents I can approach. A. To the best of my knowledge, there isn’t any publication or software that will allow you to do a cost-benefit analysis. There are simply too many variables.…
Q. I am 64 and don’t have enough credits to get Social Security. I will turn 65 in October. Will I be eligible for Medicare? If not, do I still sign up for it? My husband retired from Ford Motor Company and is 61. He will turn 62 in April. He plans on getting on Social Security at that time. Will I then be able to get Medicare? A. The answer to both questions is no.
Q: I will be 62 in November. Can I receive Medicare if I continue to work? A: You won’t be eligible for Medicare until you reach age 65 unless you have end-stage renal disease or are, in some cases, disabled. Anyhow, if you are still working when you become eligible for Medicare, you can receive its benefits.
Q: I just turned 65 and started paying my Medicare premium on a quarterly basis. I am still working federal civil service and not drawing Social Security so I have to pay my Medicare premiums separately from my pay deduction. However, Medicare deductions are still taken from my civil service pay. It seems I am having to pay twice for the same coverage. If I was not working civil service I would not have the deduction and I would still receive the same coverage since I am 65 and paying the premiums for parts A and B. Shouldn’t the pay…
Q: A friend of mine is currently receiving disability from the Postal Service. When she turned 65 and applied for Medicare, she was told she did not qualify because she did not have enough credits. Part of the time that she worked for the Postal Service does not show up on her Social Security service report. Is there any way to prove that she worked during that time? If so, can this count toward Medicare credits? A: It’s not a question of whether she worked during that time; it’s whether Medicare deductions were taken from her pay. If that service was before…