Q: I am the disabled dependent survivor of my father who was a federal employee for 30 years. I collect SSDI and Medicaid. Collecting the disabled child survivor annuity would put me over the unearned income limit to collect medicaid and I can’t afford insurance. Maine has a Medicare Savings Plan that I could join, but the income limits are very low and very strict. The income limit is $1,362 per month. I spoke with some legal specialists in the field of medicaid and they said that my SSDI COLAs would not affect my eligibility for this Medicare Savings Plan…
Browsing: Medicare
Q: I will be 62 in November. Can I receive Medicare if I continue to work? A: You won’t be eligible for Medicare until you reach age 65 unless you have end-stage renal disease or are, in some cases, disabled. Anyhow, if you are still working when you become eligible for Medicare, you can receive its benefits.
Q. I have searched the Internet extensively and cannot find any statistics on what percentage of federal employees/retirees actually sign up for Medicare Part B coverage. Can you shed any light on this for me? A. No, I can’t. If any of you who read this have that information, let me know and I’ll share it.
Q. I am a federal retiree who begins Medicare Part A coverage on Aug. 1. I am not taking Part B coverage, but I will be maintaining my FEHB health plan as a supplement. My question concerns coverage. Does having Medicare as my primary insurance result in my FEHB benefits for in-network providers being reduced? Specifically, if I paid a $20 co-pay in July for an in-network FEHB provider, will I now being paying more out-of-pocket in August for that same provider if Medicare, which does not have a network, is the primary and FEHB is the supplement? A. Check…
Q. I am a Civil Service Retirement System Offset former employee, and I retired on disability prior to age 62. Afterward, I worked in the private sector and contributed to Social Security and was thus able to qualify although I do not have 30 years work history in the private sector. I receive both Social Security Disability Insurance and a CSRS disability pension. Will my Social Security be offset prior to age 62 even though my Social Security contributions came from both CSRS Offset and private industry contributions? I also have Medicare Senior Advantage-Kaiser and wonder if my health care coverage under CSRS…
Q. I am a Civil Service Retirement System offset employee retired on disability prior to age 62. I also worked in the private sector and contributed significantly to Social Security to qualify. I receive both Social Security Disability Insurance and a disability pension. Will my Social Security be offset even though my SS contributions came from both CSRS offset and private industry contributions? I also have Medicare and wonder if my health care coverage under CSRS offset conflicts with my Medicare coverage. A. According to the Office of Personnel Management, your annuity will be offset by the amount of your Social Security disability…
Q. I’m turning 65 in September (I’ve been retired under CSRS for seven years). I’m confused about what happens to my curent coverage under Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I’ve been told I have to sign up for Medicare Part B . What’s the relationship between the two? Also, my husband (over 65) has never had coverage under Medicare Part A as he’s always used my BC/BS. Will my going under Medicare affect him? A. You do not have to sign up for Medicare Part B unless you want to. However, before making a decision, I suggest that you pull out your FEHB…
Q: I am on disability retirement through the postal service. I am 48 years old and am FERS. I have been retired since 2009. I am also receiving Social Security Disability. I just received information from Social Security stating I am required to receive Medicare B. It says I may opt out, but if I decide to join later, I may end up paying penalties. My question is can I keep my health insurance through FEHBP? I have Blue Cross Blue Shield. If I do keep it, and decide to keep Medicare B, is Medicare B the supplementary insurance or…
Q. I currently have Medicare, Tricare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield coverage and was told that I should drop my BCBS and would have the same coverage without the extra expense. What do you think? A. While I’m not in a position to advise you, I can tell you that many retirees with Tricare and Medicare Parts A & B have suspended — not dropped — their FEHB coverage and are satisfied with the results. By suspending your coverage, you protect your right to re-enroll if you lose Tricare coverage.
Q: I am on disability retirement through the U.S. Postal Service. I am 48 years old and am under the Federal Employees Retirement System. I have been retired since 2009. I am also receiving Social Security disability. I just received information from Social Security stating that I am required to receive Medicare Part B. It says I may opt out, but if I decide to join later, I may end up paying penalties. Can I keep my health insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan? If I do keep it and decide to keep Medicare Part B, is Medicare…