Q. When I turn 65 and start medicare coverage, will I be able to drop my FEHBP to get a secondary coverage plan, and is this a good idea? A. Yes, you can drop your FEHB coverage. No, it isn’t a good idea.
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Q. My dad is retired under CSRS with survivor benefits for his spouse (my mother) and maintains his FEHB insurance. My mother is covered under his FEHB also. She is 71. When she retired over a year ago, she signed up for Medicare Part A & B. Can she terminate Medicare Part B even though she has been on Part B for more than 12 months and she is over age 70? A. To discontinue her coverage under Medicare Part B, she’ll have to call the phone number on her Medicare card and talk to a Medicare representative.
Q. My father retired from the federal government in 1976. For whatever reason, he does not have Medicare Part A. My mother recently suffered a stroke, and because my dad did not have Medicare Part A, rehab at a nursing facility will not be covered. Apparently federal workers did not pay into the Social Security system back then and therefore have had to pay separately for Part A. It took hours of calls to SSA, OPM and Medicare to unravel this bureaucratic mess! BCBS (federal) is his secondary insurance and would not pay because Medicare A is primary. (BCBS was…
Q. I am a federal retiree and have the standard BC/BS coverage for my spouse and myself, plus Medicare Parts A and B. Our only out-of-pocket expenses with these plans are co-pays for prescriptions. Other federal retirees tell me I am over-insured and should drop Medicare Part B. If I did this, would I still have the same coverage I have now, or would I then have out-of-pocket expenses?
Q. I understand that when you retire, Medicare is your primary and federal insurance is your secondary. Will federal insurance still pay for prescription drugs even if you do not have a plan under Medicare?
Q. Can a retired employee quit his Federal Employees Health Benefits in retirement for, say, Tricare for Life and Medicare if retired military, and later opt to switch back to FEHB?
Q. I will complete nine years of civil service as of August, as well as 22 years of military service. If I apply for Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay, what, if anything, can I expect to receive?
Q. I am trying to figure my calculations under FERS disability retirement and Social Security. I am receiving Medicare under Social Security Administration without monetary benefits because of workers’ compensation. Would you please calculate a high-3 of $54,000; and Social Security entitlement of $1,700 monthly on a 60% and a 40%. What would be the separate amounts received from both? Also, do I have to fill out both forms, SF 3112 and a SF 3107 for immediate retirement? I am requesting approval of disability retirement. A. I can’t do your homework for you. What I can do is give you…
Q. I am an unmarried 64-year-old CSRS annuitant who will turn 65 on July 15. I’ve had Blue Cross/Blue Shield coverage for many years. What should I do about Medicare and when? A. You can apply online at www.ssa.gov/medicareonly. Do it a few months in advance to avoid delays in being covered.
Q. You have stated that to calculate the high-3, OPM will consider only salaries from which the government has deducted retirement contributions. For which items will they not deduct the contributions? Social Security taxes? Medicare taxes? Medical, dental and vision insurance payments? Thrift plan payments? I think it is fraud when everywhere it is stated “average of three highest salaries” and the actual amount is way low. Nobody told me that’s how it is calculated. I was a title 38 physician and have retired under FERS, but I also have CSRS component. A. First, let’s clear the deck. There isn’t…