Q. I am a retired federal employee. My daughter turns 22 on Nov. 13. Does that mean that after 31 days (Dec. 14) she will not have health coverage? Isn’t she covered by the 26-year-old inclusion in the new legislation? A. Yes, it does mean that she won’t have coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. She can, however, continue that coverage by paying the full premium plus 2 percent under the temporary Continuation of Coverage provision of law. Then beginning in January 2011, if she is still a dependent and unmarried, she could be once again be covered under…
Browsing: FEHB
Q. My spouse, is a federal employee who has been covered by FEHB, enrolled as “self only” for six years. I am not employed by the government, and have a health policy of my own through my employer. My spouse would like to retire in four years, as would I. If he adds me to his policy during open enrollment at the end of this year (and I drop my own coverage) will I be eligible for retirement coverage if he (and/or I) retires in three or four years? Or must he remain employed with the government for a full…
Q. I am a retired Federal LEO on FERS. I was wondering if you know or can find out what the raise in premiums, if any, will be for Federal Blue Cross Blue Shield in 2011? A.Information on FEHB rates for 2011 hasn’t been released yet. When they are, you’ll find them prominently displayed in the Federal Times.
Q. I am on federal disability from the U.S. Postal Service since 2001, I am currently on Social Security disability and reaching 62. I plan on applying for regular Social Security at age 65. I know my federal disability is recalculated to regular retire at 62, but since I am still disabled and receiving Social Security disability, will my FEHB continue until age 65 or will they stop it at 62? A. Your FEHB coverage will continue without a break.
Q. I plan to retire in June 2011 after 42 years of service with the POD/USPS. Currently, my wife is insured through her employer. Her health insurance will not carry over into retirement and we wish to add her to my retirement health insurance. What do I need to do before June? A. If she isn’t currently covered by your own FEHB enrollment, there’s nothing you can do until the next health benefits open season, which will begin in November. At that time, you can elect the self and family option of your health benefits plan
Q: I understand that to be eligible to carry Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage into retirement the individual must, have at least five years of consecutive coverage under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, or have been covered since your first opportunity to enroll. My question concerns a federal employee who is covered under their spouse’s FEHB. If the spouse dies, is the survivor still covered? A: If you were covered under the self and family option of an FEHB plan when your spouse died, you would continue to be covered.
Q: My father retired from the Internal Revenue Service 20 years ago. He has Medicare Part A but did not take Medicare Part B and has continued his Federal Employees Health Benefits insurance plan. Until now, all bills had been covered by his Aetna FEHB insurance. Now he needs surgery, and he was informed that this insurance is secondary and Medicare Part B, which he does not have, is primary. Is that accurate? Why is he paying $16,000 a year for in private insurance if it is only secondary? Also, I got the impression that if you don’t take Medicare…
Q: My father retired from federal civil service in 1974. At that time, he elected a survivor annuity for my mother with a base of $1,300. Initially, the Office of Personnel Management took out about $175 a month from his annuity for the survivor annuity, and of course this went up annually via cost-of-living adjustments, the same way his regular annuity did. He passed away in 2009. The OPM has calculated the survivor annuity for my mother, and she is receiving $789 a month net, reduced by $153 for insurance, which leaves $636 a month. Over the 35 years of…
Q: Will the 2011 family plan premiums increase significantly because of the new law requiring dependent coverage until age 26, or will the Office of Personnel Management create a new plan other than “single” or “family”? A: I’m not aware of anything in the the new law, other than adding dependent children up to age 26, that would affect next year’s health benefits premiums. And I’m not aware of any plans to request a change in the Federal Employees Health Benefit Act that would permit the addition of another option.
Q: I am retiring June 30, 2010. I am already retired from the military and have used my Tricare benefits until now. Under the new health care plan that passed in Congress, I am already receiving letters from doctors that I have been seeing for years, telling me they will no longer accept Tricare or Medicare. I want to carry the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan into retirement. Does my use of Tricare qualify for the five-year rule? A: Not unless you were enrolled in the FEHB program on the day you retired. If you were, your years of coverage…