Q. I am a retired federal employee with current BC/BS FEP Code 112 health insurance and Medicare parts A and B. Which is considered primary, and which secondary? Should I expect service providers to submit claims to both? A. Because you are retired, Medicare is primary and your BC/BS plan secondary. Yes, you should expect your providers to submit claims to both.
Browsing: Medicare Part A
Q. I am 61 and a federal employee with FEPBLUE. My wife turned 65 last year and was enrolled in Medicare parts A and B paying the Part B out of her Social Security check. I recently took a CSRS retirement class that stated that Part B is a total waste of money because in our situation, Medicare is not only secondary to FEHB (which I knew), but Part B would pay nothing until it was primary. They advised us to cancel Part B until I retire because it is worthless until then. Please advise. A. The person who taught…
Q. I am thinking of retiring soon, with 35 years’ service at 62 years old. My wife is 72 and bedridden and has Part A Medicare and Medicaid and is still on my FEHB. I have been told I should have her apply for Part B Medicare and drop her from my FEHB. She will have parts A and B Medicare and Medicaid, and from a letter she received recently, she is covered also under Part D prescription. Is taking her off my insurance the thing to do, or will I end up with many out-of-pocket expenses? I also believe…
Q. I am totally lost in getting real answers to our approach to health insurance in the coming years. I retired from CSRS in 2008 at the GS-15 level, and my wife will retire under FERS in 2014 at the GS-14 level. We both have our own FEHB. This year, when I turn 60, we are also eligible for Tricare, since I retired from the USAR. And then, when we turn 62, we are eligible for Medicare Part A, and then at 65, Medicare Part B. We are both in great shape, but we are having trouble trying to figure…
Q. I am a retired special agent with the federal government. I am 65 and have to sign up for Medicare Part A. I am a contractor with the federal government. My wife and I are covered by the FEHB. My FEHB plan is great, and we will have this insurance until death. Aside from some small additional out-of-pocket costs covered by Medicare Part B, do I need to sign up for Part B? How much on average must I pay for Part B coverage? A. Medicare Part B is an optional benefit. It’s up to you to decide if…
Q. If after retirement (qualified for FEHB and/or Medicare coverage), I temporarily live overseas and am removed from FEHB/Medicare coverage area for a couple of years, can I suspend this coverage or am I stuck paying premiums even though I can’t use it overseas? A. No, you can’t suspend that coverage. And yes, you’d be stuck with paying the premiums for your FEHB enrollment and Medicare Part B if you elected that coverage. Part A is free because you paid for that coverage through payroll deductions. Note: To lower your FEHB premium costs, during an open season you could change…
Q. My question concerns what happens when I turn 65. I am 63; what happens with my Civil Service health benefits? I have been told to keep these benefits and not go on Medicare. Is that still true? I would get better coverage with my Civil Service. I am single and would not be eligible on a spouse’s plan, etc., and do not have Social Security benefits. A. You should continue your enrollment in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. And you should enroll in Medicare Part A because you already paid for it through payroll deductions. As for Medicare…
Q. My spouse is covered under my FEHB family plan. We are both covered by Medicare Part A. When I retire, I do not plan to add Medicare Part B to my Medicare Part A. Can husband elect to take Medicare Part C and still be eligible to remain on my FEHB family plan? Also, if I changed to a FEHB self-only plan after he enrolls in Medicare Part C, could I include him later in an FEHB family plan or would he lose his eligibility forever? A. Your husband would continue to be covered by the self and family…
Q: My husband is a federal retiree. He will turn 65 in July. He has retained his FEHB Blue Cross plan following his retirement. He has been quite satisfied with his Blue Cross coverage and is disinclined to rock the boat by enrolling in Medicare Part A. If he elects not to enroll in Medicare Part A, will he be penalized by Blue Cross in terms of the benefits they will provide? A: He already paid for his Part A coverage while he was working. There is no additional cost to his enrolling for that benefit, which together with his FEHB…
Q: I am a recent retiree, younger than 65, and have just received my final annuity computations. I expected Medicare would continue to be deducted and have now read two puzzling things: That Medicare is not taken from annuity payments, and that I must contact the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to have payments withheld. By law, I understand Medicare becomes my primary payer, with my federal health plan second, when I turn 65. My question is: As a retiree under the Civil Service Retirement System, do I “owe” 1.75 percent of my monthly annuity to Medicare and must…