Q. We have GEHA high option (Code 312) for our family. I just got the letter from Medicare about choosing Medicare Part B. However, even if I am on Medicare after retiring, my wife will have seven more years before being eligible for Medicare. Thus, I am considering continuing GEHA high for both of us and not taking Medicare B, since GEHA 312 covers expenses quite well and my wife would need health insurance. If I take Medicare B and drop GEHA, I would have Medicare A and B, but she would have no health insurance. Is the above correct?…
Browsing: Eligibility
Q. Why do former military (not retired military) have to pay a deposit back into the retirement fund, especially if they’re offset? I am a CSRS offset employee, and my retirement annuity will decrease when I turn 62, when my Social Security will kick in. A. Anyone first hired on or after Oct. 1, 1982, has the option of making a deposit for active-duty service to get retirement credit for that time. Anyone first hired before that can make the deposit or not. For anyone who doesn’t, retires before age 62 and is eligible for a Social Security benefit at…
Q. If I buy back my military time (20 years), I’ll have 35 years of federal service and be 54 years of age. If an early retirement is offered, would I be eligible? A. Yes.
Q. I joined the Army in November 1982 and retired in December 2007 (25-plus years). I served during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and other conflicts. I served two tours in Iraq and received several campaign badges. I receive normal retirement pay for years of service. I also receive disability pay from the VA with a disability rating of 90 percent. I am 10 point preference eligible. I was hired for federal position and I am “permanent tenure.” I was hired using my veteran preference. I retired as a master sergeant/E-8. Am I RIF preference eligible? My SF-50 says I am…
Q. I am not a disability retiree, but I was planning to apply for disability retirement. However, I may be offered a VSIP. Also, I have been out on medical leave now for about six months but don’t know if I am officially classified as disabled. Is this break in service going to be counted against me? Would I be eligible for the VSIP at this point? I was going to apply for reasonable accommodation and disability retirement, but now I am afraid to. A. According to the Office of Personnel Management, you would not be eligible for a voluntary separation incentive payment if you have…
Q. I’m a FERS postal worker. My in-service date is Nov. 20, 1984, and my birthday is April 17, 1957. I have 2,080 hours of sick leave. Do I have to wait until Nov. 20, 2014, to retire and receive my Social Security supplement, or, on Jan. 1, 2014, will my sick leave count toward my service time? A. Sick leave cannot be used to make you eligible to retire. It can be added only after you have met the age and service requirements. Then it will be included in the computation of your annuity.
Q. Is there a specific time or age when a CSRS retiree can apply for Medicare Part A? A. To find out, go to www.medicare.gov/navigation/help-and-support/contact-medicare.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 and click on “eligibility.”
Q. I am a retired federal worker who worked from 1972 to 1987 under CSRS then transferred to FERS in 1987. I left the federal government in 1995 with enough quarters to qualify for Social Security but with much less than 30 years of substantial earnings. In 2010, at age 60, I began getting my government annuity, part based on CSRS and part on FERS. This year at age 62, I am eligible to receive Social Security benefits. As I understand it, FERS transfers are not affected by the offset program but are affected by the windfall elimination provision. How…
Q. I started my federal law enforcement career in 2002. I was activated under executive order for Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2005 to 2007. How does this time affect law enforcement retirement? I have bought back all of my military time. A. As long as you left from a covered position and returned to a covered position, that period of active-duty service would be counted when determining your eligibility to retire under the special provision for law enforcement officers.
Q. I am 61 years old. I have 38 years and eight months in CSRS. I worked for the Department of the Air Force, Department of the Navy and Postal Service. I have 28 quarters of Social Security. I plan to retire no later than Dec. 3. I get updates on my annuity for CSRS. I have no updates on my Social Security. Will I be able to receive a Social Security check at a reduced amount because I only have 28 quarters? Or will I have to get my 40 quarters and then have it reduced? A. You aren’t…