Q. My mother died while working for the Postal Service at age 60. My father is a survivor annuitant receiving a pension and paying for health care premiums under the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. My father is turning 65 and eligible for Medicare. Does he have the option of declining Part B and carrying over his current FEHB health care for his lifetime?
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Q. I need information as to how Medicare Part B premiums are paid when the following applies, per CMS.HHS: “If you are not set up on your spouse’s Social Security number with a B or D following the Medicare number.” My wife’s Medicare Part B card has a B following the Medicare number. When my wife retires from the Postal Service with an immediate CSRS annuity, her Social Security benefit, which is now used to pay the Part B premiums, will be greatly reduced due to the windfall elimination provision. If she cannot have the premiums deducted from her Social Security benefit, is there some other…
Q. With respect to a recent post on Medicare Part B, just a quick follow-up to help me see the answer. In the previous post, the person was a retired male under age 65 covered by self and family in the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan, so his working wife, age 65, has health coverage and doesn’t need Part B per your previous response since she is both working and covered. 1. When the male, who is retired, turns 65, does he have the option to carry the FEHB coverage past 65 so he doesn’t have to sign up for Part…
Q. My wife is 65 and is retiring under FERS from federal service at age 66 (in one month). I resigned under FERS two years and three months ago while not old enough for Medicare but was self-employed for the past two years, now employed by a nongovernment contractor. I had Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage separate from my wife’s FEHB coverage while employed in federal government service. My wife had her own coverage until I quit federal employment, then she started FEHB family coverage to cover both of us. She had Medicare coverage simultaneously for part of the last…
Q. My husband is a federal retiree, 69 and on Medicare and federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I begin Medicare on March 1. Will our BC/BS premium drop because it then only covers 20 percent? It’s like $500 monthly. Is it wise and cost effective to keep it, or should we look for a BC/BS supplement in Virginia?
Q. I will retire at age 62 after 38 years of federal service. Will I need to continue my Medicare withholding until I am 65?
Q. I am 58 years old and plan to retire in the next few years. My husband turned 65 this year and plans to retire in the next year. We are covered under Federal Employees Health Benefits. Should my husband be taken off my medical plan to reduce my contribution? How will this affect his Medicare coverage?
Q. I retired a few years ago with a pension and with Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage. Turned 65 a year ago. Have not applied for Social Security, as the benefit will be less than $200 per month. All sources tell me that when I apply for Social Security, Medicare Part A will be mandatory, even though all our working careers, they said we can just have FEHB for retirement. I do not want Part A and wish to remain with FEHB only. Also with all of the mixups, I am sure they will put me into Part B, as…
Q. At age 65, I sign up for Medicare Part A because it is free and I keep my Federal Employees Health Benefits but decline Medicare Part B. Does that mean my FEHB will pay out benefits as usual as if employed, or will FEHB pay benefits as if I had Medicare Part B? If so, that means I will be paying premiums on FEHB, which provides less coverage than when I was younger and working and not eligible for Medicare.
Q. I’m currently (last 10 years) enrolled in the Blue Cross Standard family plan #105, for my wife and myself. Once I turn 65 and enroll in Medicare, would I continue with the same plan or enroll in a lesser plan such as the Blue Cross Basic family plan #112 to save money? One would think that with Medicare kicking in at age 65, which subsidizes medical cost, the supplemental Blue Cross plan would cost less. Does that sound right?