Q. I have approximately 34 years with the federal government. I am under CSRS. I have paid for Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance since I was initially employed. I will be retiring within the next couple of months. While employed, the government has paid for a large portion of my health insurance premiums, and I pay a much smaller portion. When I retire, will the same paying cenario continue, i.e., the government pays a large portion and I continue paying a smaller portion? A. There won’t be any change in the percentage of premiums shared by you and the…
Browsing: HEALTH INSURANCE
Q How can I find out the difference between the two plans. I understand the Basic plan is cheaper than the standard for which I am paying $400.97 a month for the family plan as a retired DoD employee. A.If you don’t already have a copy of the plan brochure, you can download one at http://opm.gov/insure/health/planinfo/2011/brochures/71-005.pdf. With that information in hand you can compare the benefits offered and both the co-insurances and deductibles.
Q: My wife and I are both CSRS retirees. During our active careers and up to this point in our retirement she has been covered under my family health plan. Now that our youngest son is in the Air Force we want to switch to two single plans. Is that possible? Do we have to do it during open season? A: Yes, you can switch to two self only enrollments, but the only time you can do it is during the annual open season.
Q: I have been on the phone on several occasions talking to BCBS customer service people and all seem to be at a loss and I never get the same answer to what I believe should be a simple question. I am a federal employee currently covered by BCBS under the standard program self only. My wife arrived in country this past March and now that open season is here I want to add her to my policy. I know I have to upgrade to the family plan; I am all for that. Please tell me what I must do…
Q: My son is 23 and is currently on Temporary Continuation of Coverage. Last open season we changed our insurance plan but our son continued with the old plan. It’s my understanding he is eligible to come back onto our plan January 1st. Does he need to change to our new insurance company/plan? Or can he stay where he is? A: He would have to be covered by your plan.
Q: I am currently 65 and a federal employee with four years and one month continuous full-time service with health insurance. My husband, age 62, is receiving a CSRS annuity, has federal health insurance, and retired after 34 years of civil service. We married 9/25/10, and were told I could be on his health insurance. He sent the required marriage certificate and letter of request. (We both had checked on the process for health insurance that this was acceptable). However, his health carrier stated that if he died before I did, I would be removed from the health insurance because he did not elect…
Q: I could not find the answer to this question in your online FAQ. I am a retiree from the federal government receiving an annuity. My husband and I are currently enrolled in the family option of BlueCross/Blue Shield. My husband has the option of free health coverage through his current employer (an association in the private sector). Our question is: Can I take him off my BCBS plan and go to self only option while he enrolls with his employer? But, at a later date, re-elect the family option so he can be covered again by my plan? We…
Q: I’m a single FERS. My MRA is 56 with 23 ½ years of service. I’d like to defer retirement until 60, which would be this December. I’d like to confirm the MRA +10. In essence I’d really be resigning from the government. My human resources department says they would complete a PAI and SF-50 with the reason for resignation, then I would file my papers directly to OPM in 2014, 60 to 90 days before I’d like my benefits to start. I could wait longer than 2014 if I had outside employment. My main question is, if I don’t…
Q: When I retire from the USPS under CSRS I plan to switch to self-only insurance. My husband will be going into the USPS under FERS. He plans on taking out family insurance because we still have a 20-year-old son that we plan to cover. From what I have read this is not possible. I don’t want to risk giving up my health insurance just in case something happens and my husband can’t work. One of us must take the family option because of my son. Can I have self-only while he takes the family option? If not, what would…
Q: I am a recent federal retiree. I chose to keep basic life insurance only. I read there have been changes regarding election options for FEGLI as of Oct. 1, 2010. Does that mean I can now get Option C for my spouse after I dropped it when I retired? A: No.