Browsing: Medicare

Q. I am on a disability retirement and am 57 years old. I am blind (since age 7) and was denied Supplemental Security Income benefits because I do not have enough Social Security credits to qualify (of course I have enough for Medicare when I turn 65). I wanted SSI so I could join a Medicare HMO and receive primary care at home (I live in a group home). It seems since I paid into FERS and not SS, I fall through the cracks. Is there anything you can suggest? A. Let me first clear up a misconception. The fact…

Q. I am reading in a Blue Cross/Blue Shield brochure that you have to be a federal employee as of Jan. 1, 1983, to get free Medicare Part A. I joined in March 1983 and do not have Social Security eligibility. Will I get Part A for free or not? What is the significance of Jan. 1, 1983? A. Here’s the scoop from the Social Security Administration: “Federal employees are required to contribute to the Medicare Trust Fund and are therefore eligible for Medicare. This provision is referred to as the Medicare Qualified Government Employees (MQGE) provision. “All wages paid…

Q. My father was a federal employee for many years and he retired in 1983. He passed away in 2004 at the age of 80. My mother has been receiving an annuity benefit since that time. The only insurance that my father ever had was his Blue Cross/Blue Shield Federal. Why was he (and now my mother) not eligible for Medicare Part A? Shouldn’t he have been paying into the Medicare system through payroll deductions when he was employed with the Federal Communications Commission? A. Because he was a CSRS employee who retired before December 31, 1983, he didn’t have…

Q. I’m planning to retire under CSRS Offset in December. Is local, state and federal tax the only tax I will have to pay? No Social Security or Medicare? A. Social Security and Medicare taxes are only deducted from earnings from wages or self-employment, not other sources of income, such as annuities.

Q. I have been a federal employee for five years and have covered myself and my minor child under the BCBS basic family plan. My husband is disabled and receives Medicare for his primary and his employee plan for his secondary health insurance. His employer plan’s monthly premium has become expensive, and it would be more cost-effective if he were on my plan. Can I add him to my family plan during open enrollment? A. Yes.

Q. I am retired and on Social Security disability. I am 63 and now receiving regular pension since 62. I am covered by FERS BC/BS. I was under the impression that my coverage continued till age 65 when I retired in 2000. I will have to wait till 66 to retire under the new Social Security rules for retiring. Will the health coverage continue till age 66, or will it stop at 65, leaving me with no insurance since I can’t get Medicare till age 66 now? And how does one keep the coverage later? A. First, a correction. The…

Q. I am a federal retiree on Medicare with Blue Cross Blue Shield basic. I also have a third insurer through New York’s state insurance program. The program is putting all its Medicare retirees into a Part D drug program. How will this affect my BCBS drug coverage? A. According to OPM, if you are enrolled in Part D, your FEHB plan will coordinate benefits with Medicare.

Q. I am a CSRS employee and plan to retire March 29. 1. Will I be on the annuity roll for my first check on April 1 or May 1? 2. Will I incur a reduction in my annuity because of the retirement date? 3. I will turn 65 in April, so I will be eligible for Medicare. I have had Federal Employees Health Benefits for four years, and I am Tricare-eligible. I am aware that my time with Tricare will count toward my five years and that I can suspend my FEHB and go with Medicare/Tricare for Life. What…

Q. I am getting ready to enroll in Medicare. I have GEHA High Option Family Plan and was advised to change to GEHA Low Option Family Plan once I am enrolled in Medicare. I have the High Family Option because my spouse is ill and requires frequent medical attention. A. The only way to know if that would be a good decision for you and your spouse would be to compare the benefits for each level of GEHA coverage and see how they would mesh with Medicare. If your spouse isn’t covered by Medicare, electing the low option might increase your out-of-pocket…

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