Q. I heard on television that, under the Affordable Care Act, children can stay on your medical plan until age 26, but spouses are not considered dependents. My wife is a few years younger than me and, when I retire next year, will she still be covered under Federal Employees Health Benefits?
Browsing: FEHB
Q. I retired in 1997 with a survivor benefit for my wife. She passed away in 2007, and the survivor deduction stopped. I am going to remarry, and I know the first deduction will be the 10-plus percent so I can give my new wife health insurance, but how much of a payback will be deducted, and what percentage can I leave her? I am 71. My retirement is about $67,000. I am figuring that I will have about a $12,000 deduction when I remarry. I am thinking of getting a separate health insurance policy for my new wife plus…
Q. I have worked for the Air Force as a civilian for the past 30 years. For the first 20 years of employment, I carried FEHB for myself and my family. For the past 10 years, I have not continued FEHB because my wife carried coverage for all of us under a state teachers medical insurance. I am considering retiring in two to three years at age 62 and entering retirement without FEHB because I can continue on my wife’s plan. If, several years down the road, my wife retires and loses her coverage, can I then enroll in FEHB…
Q. I understand that for leave without pay of less than six month, we receive credit for that time. I am 52 with 32 years of service, all under FERS. My MRA is 56 (2016). In my last year or sooner, I believe my supervisor will allow me the last year before retirement to work 24 and 16 hours LWOP. Is there any impact? I’m under retired spouses FEHB.
Q. I am eligible for the MRA+10 provision of FERS. However, I want to continue federal health benefits immediately in retirement and postpone payment of the annuity so I can avoid the reduction in the annuity payment. Can I do this?
Q. I will have 20 years of congressional employment as of Jan. 23, 2014. I will be 60 years old three months earlier, in October. It is my understanding that members and congressional personal staff will be forced into Affordable Care Act health coverage as of Jan. 1, 2014. Can I retire Dec. 31 and keep my Federal Employees Health Benefits? How will this affect my FERS annuity? A. If you retire as a FERS-covered employee, you would be entitled to a FERS annuity. And if you have five consecutive years under the FEHB program and retired before the Affordable…
Q. I am a letter carrier, age 52, started in 1985 and have 28 years of creditable service. If I understand what I’ve gleaned from the posts here and the Postal Service were to offer me a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority this year, 1. Would I begin my annuity immediately? 2. Would I have no reductions in calculations of my annuity? (average high-3 x 1 percent x 28) 3. Would I receive credit for half of my sick leave and all of my annual leave? (How are these applied?) 4. Would I receive the special retirement supplement beginning at age…
Q. I’m thinking about applying for a Transportation Security Administration position in Denver. How many years would I need to work to get health benefit coverage at retirement?
Q. My husband worked for a Veterans Affairs medical center for seven years, then left federal employment for eight years. He is 63 and receiving a deferred annuity. He may be returning to federal employment. When he returns, is there a certain amount of time he must be re-employed to be able to retire and carry his health benefits into retirement? A. If your husband was re-employed, he’d be able to enroll in the FEHB program during the next open season. He would then have to be enrolled for five years to continue that coverage when he once again retired.
Q. I am a CSRS-covered employee nearing retirement. My spouse is a nonfederal employee and has been covered under my FEHB family plan for my entire career. I would like to elect a survivor benefit for an amount to cover her future FEHB premiums only. What amount of survivor benefit should I elect to cover her premiums, no more and no less? A. First, a reminder. By law, you have to elect a full survivor annuity for your spouse unless he or she agrees to a lesser amount or none. That agreement must be presented to OPM in a signed…