Q: I have 30 years of full-time service under CSRS and wish to reduce to a part-time permanent employee for my last year of service. When I switch to part time, I understand that I will be required to pay a larger portion of my health care insurance premium. When I retire at the end of this year, how much will I pay to continue my health insurance? Will it be the percent I have paid through my full-time years, the increased amount I will pay as a part-time employee for the last year or some other amount? A: As…
Browsing: HEALTH INSURANCE
Q: Is there a Federal Employees Health Benefit provider that provides care in case something happens while traveling overseas? What happens to my insurance if I leave federal service for a year and do something else? Can I still pay and keep my health benefits? A: Every FEHB plan has a section in its brochure that explains what it will cover if you live or travel outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico. As to your other question, if you were to leave government, you would receive a 31-day extension of coverage at no cost to yourself. During that time, you…
Q: I am currently under workers’ comp from the Postal Service. My health insurance is through workers’ comp. My husband is a retired Postal Service employee with MVP family insurance. I would like to disability retire but I need to know that I can be added to my husband’s insurance effective immediately. I have been advised to cancel my workers’ comp health insurance first, then I can be picked up on his. This is very risky. Please advise. A: If your husband is enrolled in the self and family option of his Federal Employees Health Benefits plan, you are already…
Q: I have been opting out of health care coverage because I am covered by my wife’s plan, but I plan to retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System in 2016 and want to take advantage of the post-retirement health care benefits. I will enroll during the upcoming open season, but I would like to know whether I need to enroll in self and family coverage in order to have coverage for my family after I retire, or if I can enroll in self coverage now and add family members after I retire. A: You can switch from self-only coverage to…
Q: I am a retired postal annuitant on Medicare. I heard that letters were sent out in the spring inviting insurers to offer a health care supplement for people such as me, so that I don’t have to pay for a full-blown plan when I also have Medicare Parts A and B. I cannot find any insurers offering such a plan for 2011. Are there any plans being offered? Who offers them? Are there any fee-for-service insurers? A: I don’t know if OPM had any takers. We won’t know that until it makes its Federal Employees Health Benefits open season…
Q: I am planning to retire in two months after 30 years of federal service. I will continue with the Blue Cross Blue Shield No. 105 health insurance plan. I also have premium free Medicare A coverage. My present thinking is to not enroll in Medicare plan B. I am 69 and have been drawing Social Security benefits while working. When I retire, I understand Medicare A will become my primary coverage during hospitalization. It is not clear to me the situation regarding doctor’s office visits. Will the office visit continue to be covered by my BCBS plan? Does the…
Q. Is it true that in 2012 retirees will not be able to receive Blue Cross federal coverage? A. No
Q. I am currently a FERS employee with FEHB dependent coverage. My daughter lost her health coverage when she turned 23 years of age on Aug. 31, 2009. She is a graduate student and I would like to know how to re-enroll her before the Jan. 1, 2011 start date under the new health plan? Is she automatically enrolled because I already have dependent coverage? Will there be an increase in premiums for my FEHB coverage, if so how much? A. Information about how to do that will be included in your open season packet. The premiums for self and…
Q. My husband and I are both retired annuitants on CSRS. We have always had FEHB Self and Family coverage, with him as primary member. It may be cheaper for us to each opt for Self Only coverage this coming open season. Since I have always been covered under his plan, how do we go about changing plans? Is there a way to ensure that I will be covered on my own before we change his option? A. You can find out how to make the change by going to http://opm.gov/insure/health/planinfro/enroll.asp#annuitants. Since the changes will occur simultaneously, he cannot remain enrolled in…
Q. I will be retiring Jan. 31, 2011 with over 25 years of federal service, but open season will be closed. My current provider does not cover the area I am moving to (North Carolina). If I continue with my current plan until I retire, will I be able to choose another plan at my retirement? A. Yes, you will be able to do that.