Q. I am retired with Blue Cross/Blue Shield and will be signing up for Medicare Part A soon to avoid penalties for Part B and Part D. Does my BC/BS meet the “creditable plan” requirement to avoid penalties? I have been told “yes and no” on the phone by Medicare. If I sign up for an HMO with a lower cost, will I meet “creditable plan” standards if I drop Federal Employees Health Benefits? Can I re-sign up for BC/BS later if I don’t like the coverage? A. The “creditable plan” feature you’re referring to only applies to those who…
Browsing: Medicare Part A
Q. On Jan. 18, there was question about which is primary between these two programs, and the answer ended with “whether you keep both [Federal Employees Health Benefits] and Tricare is something you’ll have to decide.” How do you decide? Where can I find a clear, side-by-side comparison of my FEHB (BC/BS standard in my case) and Tricare for Life — one that is not comparing apples to oranges? I have been told I don’t really need FEHB because TFL is “very comprehensive,” but how can I find out exactly what, if anything, FEHB would cover that TFL wouldn’t. P.S.…
Q. I am enrolled in Medicare Part A and B. I also have Tricare for Life and Federal Employees Health Benefits (Blue Cross/Blue Shield). My doctor has opted out of Medicare and wants $5,000 for a hip replacement. Will FEHB pay his fee? A. The only way to find out how much of your doctor’s fee your FEHB plan will pay is to ask them.
Q. When I turn 65, I can enroll in Medicare Parts A and B. The other parts do not interest me. At this time, I am enrolled in a Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. I am a veteran who is 60 percent disabled, and the Veterans Affairs Department covers my medical needs at 100 percent plus meds if I use its facility. At age 65, I would like to suspend my FEHB plan and use Medicare Parts A and B plus my VA. Can I suspend my FEHB under this situation? A. No, you can’t.
Q. I’ll be 65 this month. I retired from civil service in 2008. I’m working part time as a city employee and still paying into Medicare. My wife is 60 years old, and I want to keep her with my Federal Employees Health Benefits program. Since I qualify for free Part A, do I have to enroll with Medicare for this, and will my FEHB remain primary for my wife and me? A. Since you are still working, you don’t have to enroll in Medicare Part A. However, I can’t think of a good reason not to do so, even…
Q. I am retiring from the VA when I am 62. I hold the insurance for myself and my husband, and I am able to keep family health benefits when I retire. My husband is two years and nine months younger than I am. When I reach 65, can I still keep GEHA insurance until my husband reaches 65 and can start drawing Medicare on his own? I do not want him not having heath insurance when he is 62. I heard someone say that at 65 I could do Medicare Part A and keep my government health insurance, and…
Q. I will retire under CSRS and will maintain my FEHB insurance and Medicare Part A. What are the advantage and disadvantages of obtaining Medicare Part B? A. The disadvantage is that you have to pay the premiums for Medicare Part B. The advantage is that it works with your FEHB coverage to reduce your out-of-pocket costs for medical, clinical lab service, home health care, outpatient hospital service and blood. You’ll have to review what the two plans offer and see where they overlap, reinforce each other or fill gaps.
Q. I am a 69-year-old female FERS retiree, covered under parts A and B of Medicare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield basic for federal employees. I also have my spouse insured on this plan. My spouse is a military retiree, so we have Tricare for Life, and he also has parts A and B of Medicare. I would like to change to the less expensive BC/BS health insurance, but I want to keep the doctors we currently have. Is there a possibility I would have greater out-of-pocket expense with the standard BC/BS? I would like to take the difference in premiums…
Q. I am retired under CSRS with survivor benefits for my spouse. I have Medicare Part A and Federal Employees Health Benefits Blue Cross/Blue Shield family plan. My spouse has just become Medicare eligible. Since there is a penalty (140 percent) for me to pick up Part B, we are contemplating continuing with the Medicare Part A and FEHB. The adviser at Social Security questioned our health insurance coverage after I die, noting the penalty in picking up Part B later. I assume that FEHB coverage will continue with the survivor benefits. Also, will the cost of the FEHB become…
Q. I have been covered by my wife’s GEHA plan for the past 10 years, and I continue to be covered under her policy (as do our two kids; we are in a self and family plan). Two new variables are coming into play for my health care: 1) I will be eligible for Medicare coverage in two months; and 2) I just started receiving a federal annuity. (Note: I am eligible to receive Social Security but have not yet signed up). I have two related questions: 1) If I continue to remain under my wife’s Federal Employees Health Benefits…