Q. I retired from the Postal Service in 2006. I will turn 65 in April. If I understand this correctly, my employer health insurance becomes my secondary insurance and Medicare becomes my primary. Why would my premiums stay the same for an insurance that’s providing me less coverage? Also, what parts (A, B, C, D) are advisable to sign up for with Medicare?
Browsing: Medicare
Q. My husband and I are employed with different federal agencies. He is with the Veterans Affairs Department, and I am with the Defense Department. He has covered me under a family plan for the past 10 years. We are both preparing for retirement next year. Our daughter turned 27 this year and is no longer eligible for coverage under the family plan. So it is cheaper for each of us to elect our own self insurance plans, rather than for him to continue the family plan. If I elect a self plan this open season, and then retire next…
Q. I retired from the Postal Service at age 70. I did not sign up for Medicare Part B at 65. I carried my Federal Employees Health Benefits plan into retirement. I understood that as long as I kept my insurance, I would not be penalized if I decided to sign up at a later time. That was two years ago. I am considering an Advantage plan and have been told by Social Security that I will be penalized for each 12-month period since I turned 65, even though I continued to work until 70. I retired Oct. 1, 2011.
Q. I am a retired disabled military member who works in the federal government. Since I am retired, I did not opt for any of the Federal Employees Health Benefits, as I am covered through Tricare as well as the Veterans Affairs Department. So, why is it that I must pay into Medicare when I am presently covered by another form of medical coverage? What can I do to stop this $2,247.18 annual deduction? Since I am covered as a vet under VA, I don’t need additional medical coverage. This is not right. How do I get my money back?…
Q. My wife and I both work for the Veterans Affairs Department. She has been covered under my self-and-family policy of Blue Cross/Blue Shield for the past 23 years. She will turn 65 this December. I am 59. Is she required to use Medicare for her primary insurer at age 65, or can she continue to use BC/BS as her primary insurer? We are satisfied with BC/BS, and all of our doctors take this easily. Is there a difference between use of Part A (hospitalization) versus Part B? If she chooses not to take Part B at this time, can she use BC/BS for office visits? Can…
Q. I am married to a retired federal employee. I have been covered on her health insurance for well over five years. She’s getting ready to have Medicare as her primary insurance and Blue Cross/Blue Shield (FEP) as her secondary coverage. Will this change anything for me on my BC/BS coverage? Will I still have the same coverage although my wife’s BC/BS is her secondary coverage?
Q. I am turning 65 in December. I am retired from the federal government and have Aetna HMO. I am also retired from the Army Reserve and have Tricare and I am 30 percent disabled from the Veterans Affairs Department (diabetic). I live in New Jersey with my wife at 59; my son is still in college at 22; my 19-year-old daughter is also in college. I work part time and use my retirement health care and Tricare to cover myself and family. I am not filing for Social Security until I am 66. I am totally confused on Medicare…
Q. I retired in 2003 after 32 years as an air traffic controller. I will reach age 65 in August 2014. My wife will not reach age 65 until March 2017. I am enrolled in the Blue Cross of Idaho Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. I have questions about Medicare. 1. If I sign up for Medicare, I understand it become my primary provider. Will my FEHB premiums be reduced, or will they stay the same? 2. Will my wife continue under FEHB until she reaches age 65? 3. Do you have any literature concerning the transition to Medicare from…
Q. I am looking at the Trust Fund Data of Social Security & Medicare Tax rates from the Social Security Administration website. For the year 1971-72, I see a 4.6 withholding rate under OASDI and .600 under HI. Would a federal employee covered under CSRS in 1972 have paid the 0.6 percent into Medicare? I know they would not pay the 4.6 under OASDI.
Q. My husband is 65 and planning to retire from the federal government the first of the year. He just signed up for Medicare A. We were planning to keep the Federal Employees Health Benefits Blue Cross coverage at $300 per month for both of us. We would rather not pick up Part B because of the cost. We have been advised by several agents not to pick up Part B. We were told we would “lose our open enrollment” status if we picked up Part B now. What does that mean? If down the line in a couple of…