Q. I am a Bureau of Prisons retiree with GEHA health insurance. Should I enroll in Medicare B? I know I don’t have to enroll in Medicare B, but would like to know the pros and cons of not enrolling. It seems the only entity that would benefit from that enrollment would be GEHA, or whichever health plan I enroll in, as it would automatically be deemed secondary with Medicare Part B as the primary, thereby avoiding paying the full cost of whatever medical procedure I might receive. If I sign up for Medicare B, won’t I be paying twice…
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Q. My December federal retirement take-home pay was $1,609.11. My January federal retirement take-home pay was $1.645.66. My February federal retirement take-home pay was $1,511.67. My take-home pay was reduced by $133.99. In my 15 years of retirement pay, I have never seen this much taken for medical at once. For the past few years, my take-home pay has continued to reduce. Inflation is not keeping up with medical costs. What’s going on? A. All plans in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program are experience-rated. This means that the premiums in the current year are based on an analysis of…
Q. If I am 100 percent disabled due to a service-connected disability and entitled to free health care with the Veterans Affairs Department for life, does it make sense to cancel the Federal Employees Health Benefits insurance that I have had since I retired in 2004? I am also covered under my wife’s health insurance through her former employer. A. I can’t tell you if it makes sense. That’s something you’ll have to figure out. Review the benefits you receive from VA and those you and your wife receive both from her employer plan and your FEHB enrollment. Keep in mind…
Q. I am 64 years old and have nine years in CSRS. Four years were 1972 to 1976. At that time, I took my retirement out, then another seven months in 1985-86. I was reinstated in the federal government in February 2008, working for the IRS under seasonal but worked full time. I transferred in September with no break in service, accepting a position for the Defense Department. My service computation date gives me Feb. 4, 2004, under FERS. I signed up for Federal Employees Health Benefits at that point. I want to retire, but I need to take my…
Q. I am 68 years old and signed up for Medicare Part A before my 66th birthday. I have not signed up for Part B for several reasons. 1. My husband is 60 years old and we have insurance coverage with Federal Employee Plan Blue Cross/Blue Shield. 2. We are posted out of the country, in the Czech Republic. 3. I have no occasion here to use Medicare or incur its costs. Health costs are self-paid upfront in full and then partially reimbursed by our insurance company. I believe individuals are penalized 10 percent per year for not signing up for Medicare when…
Q. I have been retired under Social Security disability since 2000. I declined Part B because of federal insurance. My Postal Service disability turned over to regular pension at age 62. I am now 64. According to new law, I am eligible for regular Social Security at age 66. Will my federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield continue until age 66, or does it end at age 65? And do benefits change at all? Do I then have to apply for Part B at 65, or do I wait to apply at 66? And do I have to pay a penalty for…
Q. My husband and I are both military retirees and have had Tricare for over 38 years. When my husband turned 65, he had to sign up for Medicare and take Part B to retain Tricare for Life. He also dropped off of the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan and then retired from his civilian federal government job and I changed to single coverage on FEHB under me (I am still working as a civilian federal employee). I am considering retiring this year and want to know if I need to add him to my FEHB for him to have…
Q. My sister is a retired police officer living in North Carolina and will be eligible for Medicare in August. How does she apply for Medicare? All of the questions I’ve looked at address retirees who are on Social Security, which she will not be. She will continue with Blue Cross/Blue Shield government health insurance. A. She should call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 and talk to one of their benefits specialists. If she isn’t eligible for a Social Security benefit, she won’t be eligible for Medicare Part A. However, she can enroll in Part B at her own…
Q. I have been reassigned to a position in Atlanta from Albuquerque, N.M. This move is permanent. Do I need a SF 52 prepared to change my duty station and locality pay? Do I need a SF 52 to change my taxes and health insurance? This position is considered virtual. A. All personnel actions must be documented with a Standard Form 52. It will record where you are now, your new duty station and the rate of pay at each. There is no place on the SF 52 to record changes in taxes or health insurance. When your official personnel…
Q. I am a retired foreign service officer whose spouse is still an active federal employee working for an agency other than the State Department. To save money, we decided to move from one self-and-family policy under my name to separate self-only plans. I opted for a completely different carrier, while my wife chose to stay with the one we had had for six years. We had not counted, however, on the fact that this year, there would be a nearly two-week gap between the time frame for changes for retirees and for active employees. The end result has been that…