Q. My husband and I are retired feds. We kept our fed insurance because I was not on Medicare yet. We figure that we will pay more than $500 a month for Part B, which is more than our federal insurance. If we do not take Part B now and our income drops later, can we sign up without penalty? A. No.
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Q. I am planning to retire overseas (probably in Panama) and will be eligible to keep my insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield). I understand that I will continue to pay my part of the insurance and that the federal government will continue to pay the rest. 1. Will the insurance cover me while I am living overseas? 2. What will happen when I turn 65? 3. Will all medical plans from all companies work the same way? A. If you are enrolled in an HMO, the answer in most cases is no, you won’t be covered if you are living…
Q. I am retired from the Postal Service. I am turning 66. If I pick up Medicare Part B, can I claim it on my taxes? How much in yearly salary can I earn if I go back to work? A. If you have reached your full Social Security retirement age, there is no limit on the amount you can earn. However, if you were to return to work for the federal government, in most cases your salary would be reduced by the amount of your annuity.
Q. Is there any way to figure out how much would be deducted from a Postal Service annuity check due to an early-out? I live in Jamaica, N.Y. Will they still deduct federal, state, Medicare, Social Security? A. Federal taxes will be deducted, but New York state taxes won’t. Neither will Medicare Part A or Social Security taxes. That’s because those two are only deducted from earnings, not annuities.
Q. I am following up a July 13 opinion about the allowable charges that FEHB plans can consider when a federal retiree incurs charges from a health care provider. The opinion states that FEHB must apply Medicare allowable rates in determining their plan’s benefits, and does not consider the “actual charge” from the provider. However, my reading of the Federal Register vol. 61, No. 189 (9/27/1996) is that the providers themselves cannot charge the retiree more than the Medicare allowable limits. Therefore, under the law as I understand it, it is illegal for the provider’s “actual charge” to exceed these…
Q. Can a retiree suspend his Federal Employees Health Benefits because of using the Veterans Affairs Department for care? They mention Tricare, Medicare, ChampVA and “other” programs but not VA. A. No.
Q. I turn 65 in March and would like to suspend my FEHB, but I am concerned that I won’t have health coverage until Medicare kicks in. How should I proceed? I’ve have been told that you can suspend your FEHB, but I don’t know the process or how long the grace period is after such an action. A. There are only two ways you can suspend your FEHB enrollment. 1) If you are enrolling in Tricare, CHAMPVA or a Medicare Advantage plan or 2) If you are going to be carried under your spouse’s own FEHB enrollment.
Q. My husband has been declared disabled and begins Medicare A and B on Jan. 1. I am a current federal employee with plans to retire in about six years. Will my husband’s Medicare be primary for him, or will my Blue Cross/Blue Shield? I called BCBS to inform them of him becoming Medicare eligible, and they told me I would have to call back in November. I then asked if they pay what Medicare doesn’t, and they said they will be the primary for my husband. I don’t understand this and am wondering why. A. Medicare will be primary…
Q. My husband retired in CSRS at age 55. He will turn 62 in January and plans to collect his Social Security benefits then. He has BCBS federal basic family plan, which includes me. Is he required to accept Medicare Part A? If so, how does that affect my coverage? I am not collecting any retirement or Social Security benefits at this time, as I am just now 60. A. He isn’t required to apply for Medicare Part A; however, since he has already paid for the coverage and the way his FEHB plan will operate after he becomes eligible…
Q. My husband retired in CSRS at age 55. He will turn 62 in January and plans to collect his Social Security benefits then. He has BCBS federal basic family plan, which includes me. Is he required to accept Medicare Part A? If so, how does that affect my coverage? I am not collecting any retirement or Social Security benefits at this time, as I am just now 60. A. He isn’t required to apply for Medicare Part A; however, since he has already paid for the coverage and the way his FEHB plan will operate after he becomes eligible…