Q: My husband has carried family federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance, low option 105, for many years, and we have been satisfied with that coverage. Now that we are age 65 and are keeping our insurance and signing up for Medicare Part A because it is free, is there any reason to also purchase Medicare Part B? It seems to me that it would just be paying for double coverage that we already have. Do we also need Medicare Part B? A: Only you can determine if it’s worth it to also pay for Medicare Part B. You’ll have…
Browsing: Medicare
Q: I recently read your answer to a federal retiree asking why her Medicare Part B deduction increased while her husband’s, a Social Security retiree, did not. Your response was that since Social Security retireees’ cost-of-living adjustment was zero, that was the reason his Medicare deduction did not increase. As a federal retiree, my cost-of-living adjustment for the last two years was zero also, however my Medicare deduction did increase. Can you tell my why? A: I have to assume that you aren’t receiving a Social Security benefit. Otherwise you wouldn’t have had any increase in your Medicare Part deduction.…
Q: I am a retired federal employee and receive an annuity. I pay for my Medicare Part B quarterly. I would like to have this cost deducted monthly from my annuity. Is there a form to do this? If so, where can I get this form? A: To arrange for this change, call the Medicare Administration at 1-800-633-4227 and talk to a benefits specialist.
Q: I am a retiree under the CSRS who cannot get Social Security benefits. Are the COLA’s for federal retirees and Social Security benefiiciaries determined under the same law? If so, why are they not both subject to the “hold harmless” provision in that law? For the past two years, there have been no cost-of-living allowances, yet my Medicare Part B premiums have increased both years while those on Social Security benefits haven’t. A: There are two separate laws at work here. While both laws protect retirees from having their benefits reduced when the numbers go negative, only the Social…
Q: I began coverage under Medicare two years ago. My wife just began coverage under Medicare this month. We received statements from Social Security for our 2011 benefits. My wife’s coverage is based partly on my entitlement and partly on some part-time work she has done over the years. Her deduction for Medicare medical is $110 and mine is $96. Why is hers so much higher than mine? A: Because you were already enrolled in Medicare Part B and had those premium deductions taken from your Social Security benefit, you were protected by the “hold harmless” provision of the Social…
Q: I am a recent retiree, younger than 65, and have just received my final annuity computations. I expected Medicare would continue to be deducted and have now read two puzzling things: That Medicare is not taken from annuity payments, and that I must contact the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to have payments withheld. By law, I understand Medicare becomes my primary payer, with my federal health plan second, when I turn 65. My question is: As a retiree under the Civil Service Retirement System, do I “owe” 1.75 percent of my monthly annuity to Medicare and must…
Q: I am retiring at the end of December and have already reached age 65. I have signed up for Social Security benefits starting in January. I also signed up for Medicare Part A coverage but not Part B coverage, as suggested at a retirement seminar. I am carrying over my Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage. I checked with my plan and they said I would not need Medicare Part B. If I decide to switch plans in the future and my new insurer suggests that I need Part B coverage, will I be penalized with the 10 percent per…
Q: I am a Civil Service Retirement System annuitant who will turn 65 soon. I have a Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. Must I sign up for Medicare Part B and/or Part D? What are the consequences if I don’t? Will my FEHB plan continue to cover my health care costs if I don’t sign up for Medicare? I have signed up for Part A because I paid for it over my working career. A: No, you don’t have to sign up for Medicare Part B or Part D. Whether you should is a decision you’ll have to make. Your…
Q: I will be retiring from federal service at age 58 with 35 years of service under the Civil Service Retirement System. I have been paying the 1.45 percent Medicare biweekly payment since its inception in 1983. Will this tax be deducted from my monthly CSRS annuity until I reach age 65? And, without 40 quarters of paying into Social Security, does paying the Medicare tax for 17 years qualify me for free Medicare Part A? A: Deductions for Medicare Part A are only required for those who have earnings from wages or self-employment, not annuities. The fact that you…
Q: I am a 69-year-old federal retiree covered by a Blue Cross/Blue Shield Standard Option 105 health plan as well as Medicare Part A. I recently spoke with Blue Cross about reimbursement levels for doctor care when I received a bill from my internist for $400 and Blue Cross paid $100. According to Blue Cross, I was responsible for the remaining $300 because Congress had passed rules (they may have meant that the Office of Personnel Management generated a rule, I am not sure) that limited the amount they could reimburse Medicare patients for a given procedure. When I checked…