Q: If I retired from the postal service but am still carrying the medical coverage through them. Is it necessary to elect the Part B coverage? I am not drawing Social Security because I am not eligible until I turn 66. I am under the Civil Service portion of the postal retiree plan and am still carrying my spouse on my medical coverage. A: You don’t have to sign up for Medicare Part B if you don’t want to. It’s optional.
Browsing: Medicare
Q: My husband, five years my senior, retired last year and now has Medicare. I have no insurance. I am 60 and unemployed. Will Medicare cover me for health care, and if so, what will the cost be? A: According to the official Medicare website, “Medicare is not offered as a family or dependent benefit. This means all people who have Medicare must qualify on an individual basis. For example, a person under age 65 does not automatically receive Medicare because their spouse is 65 or older and enrolled in the Medicare program.”
Q: I have GEHA Basic and Medicare Part A and B. I take no prescriptions and go to the doctor very little, mostly to have tests done. I am considering dropping my Medicare B as I will have GEHA and Medicare A. I am interested in an unbiased answer. A: Decisions like this are always personal. However, there are two things to consider before making a decision about dropping Medicare Part B. First, you need to review what benefits are included in Part B and decide whether you will need anything it covers that is not provided by your FEHB…
Q: I have been receiving a civil service disability since 1999. I turn 65 in April 2011. My spouse is covered under Blue Cross-Blue Shield that I have with the disability annuity. Must I enroll in Medicare at 65 — thus forcing my spouse to be without health care coverage? Or can I continue to get disability benefits and be covered by Blue Cross-Blue Shield? A: Signing up for Medicare doesn’t alter your right to continue your enrollment in Blue Cross-Blue Shield. Part A coverage is free because you paid for it through mandatory payroll deductions. Enrolling in Medicare Part…
Q: My husband is retired and receives a pension and Social Security retirement. He is enrolled in the NALC Health Benefit Plan. He turns 65 in June. I understand that he will automatically be enrolled in Medicare because he receives Social Security benefits. Can he keep his federal health care plan with NALC instead of Part B? I am still working but am covered on his FEHB plan. If he is enrolled in Medicare Part B how will that affect my health insurance? A: Your husband will automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part A at no cost to himself. He…
Q: I am about to retire soon from CSRS. How can I find out if I will be eligible for Medicare? I don’t see from my pay stub that a Medicare tax has been taken out. The CSRS tax is at 7 percent with AT next to it. What do I need to do to ensure that I will be eligible for Medicare when I reach 65? A: Relax. Medicare taxes in the amount of 1.45 percent are automatically deducted from every employee’s pay to cover the cost of Medicare Part A. That’s been the case since 1983.
Q: I am a CSRS retiree and have an FEHB plan. In March I will turn 65 and understand I should apply for Medicare parts A and B, but in June I am getting married and I want to be able to provide health insurance for my spouse, who is 57. Should I keep my FEHB coverage as well as enrolling for Medicare parts A and B. This seems to be the only way to make sure we’re both covered, although presumably very pricey. Are there any other alternatives? A: No, there aren’t any sensible ones. When you get married,…
Q: On Oct. 12, 2010, someone asked if there is Medicare supplement insurance available under FEHB. You responded that we would have to wait until November 2010 when open season starts. Were there any companies offering a supplement plan for Medicare under FEHB? If not, can you refer me to someone that can advise as to the best plans (most cost effective) for FEHB participants that are also covered by Medicare Parts A and B? I have been paying for a self-and-family Standard Option BCBC plan for more than 30 years and carried it into retirement over 20 years ago.…
Q: I am a retired civil service worker. Could someone tell me why I pay more for Medicare than people who draw Social Security? This is plain discrimination. I think it’s time for a class-action lawsuit. A: Those who receive a Social Security benefit are covered by the “hold harmless” provision of the Social Security Act. The law protects more than 70 percent of Social Security beneficiaries from paying a higher Part B premium, in order to avoid reducing their net Social Security benefit. Those not protected include higher income beneficiaries subject to an income-adjusted Part B premium and beneficiaries…
Q: I am 68 and a retiree from the federal government. I had been working part time for a defense contractor until the contract ended. I’m now unemployed. I have Medicare Parts A and B, and BCBS as a secondary. I noticed my BCBS for standard option increased $59.66 a month for 2011. I am now paying $234.74 a month for standard and $97.50 a month for Medicare Part B, for a total of $332.24 a month. Do you know of a less expensive way to get the same coverage? A: You’ll need to do some comparison shopping during the…