Q. My husband and I are both military retirees and have had Tricare for over 38 years. When my husband turned 65, he had to sign up for Medicare and take Part B to retain Tricare for Life. He also dropped off of the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan and then retired from his civilian federal government job and I changed to single coverage on FEHB under me (I am still working as a civilian federal employee). I am considering retiring this year and want to know if I need to add him to my FEHB for him to have…
Browsing: self and family
Q. I am a FERS retiree with premium deductions from my annuity for Federal Employees Health Benefits family coverage. My wife is not a federal retiree. 1. If I change to single during open season, can I change back to family coverage the next year? 2. When I die, I assume FEHB coverage will halt for her, correct? A. Yes, you can change from self-and-family coverage to self-only during any open season and change back during any open season. If you provided a survivor annuity for your wife, and you are covered by the self-and-family option when you die, she…
Q. I am a retired foreign service officer whose spouse is still an active federal employee working for an agency other than the State Department. To save money, we decided to move from one self-and-family policy under my name to separate self-only plans. I opted for a completely different carrier, while my wife chose to stay with the one we had had for six years. We had not counted, however, on the fact that this year, there would be a nearly two-week gap between the time frame for changes for retirees and for active employees. The end result has been that…
Q. I know one has to have Federal Employees Health Benefits for five years before one quits or retires to get this benefit. Does it have to be family coverage for five years, or can I change my self-only coverage to family in the last year before retirement? Can I change it after retirement? A. You can change from self-only to self and family and from self and family to self-only during any open season. The only requirement to carry your FEHB coverage into retirement is that you be covered continuously for the five years before you retire. Note: I…
Q. I know one has to have Federal Employees Health Benefits for five years before one quits or retires to get this benefit. Does it have to be family coverage for five years, or can I change my self-only coverage to family in the last year before retirement? Can I change it after retirement? A. You can change from self-only to self and family and from self and family to self-only during any open season. The only requirement to carry your FEHB coverage into retirement is that you be covered continuously for the five years before you retire. Note: I…
Q. My husband and I are postal employees. He is getting ready to retire after 32 years with the Postal Service, and he is 59. I am 51 and will be continuing my employment probably (God willing) for another eight years or so. We both carry self-only health insurance plans, and I was wondering if I can take him on my insurance plan before he retires and change my enrollment to self and family. If this is a possibility, he can drop his plan. I think this would save us money, as I think his insurance will go up in…
Q. My husband is a retired FERS employee and I am a current CSRS employee. I am covered as a family member under my husband’s self-and-family coverage. My husband did not elect a survivor annuity. I plan to retire the end of this year. What happens to my Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage if he dies before me? Will I be able to continue the coverage based on my own eligibility, even though he did not elect a survivor annuity? If I elect self-only coverage during the next open season, the change is not effective until Jan. 13, while any…
Q. I am a FERS employee and plan to retire at age 60 with more than 20 years’ service. I will have been enrolled in FEHB for more than five years and want to know: If I elect to not have a survivor on my annuity, will my spouse, who receives a monthly military retirement from the U.S. Navy and has Tricare for Life, be able to keep the FEHB after my death? A. No. Your spouse has to be both covered under the self and family option of your FEHB plan and receiving a survivor annuity. As a FERS…
Q. I am confused about your Oct. 22 answer to “Medicare Part B in retirement.” I am 63, retired, receiving my Social Security benefit, have coverage with Blue Cross/Blue Shield for my wife and myself, am not employed, and have no plans to return to work. It is my understanding that BC/BS requires purchase of Part B when I become eligible in a year or so. Yet, the answer to the question seemed unequivocal in stating that B is optional. Can you clarify for me, please? A. Don’t be confused. What I wrote is correct. To back that up, here’s…
Q. If I take the $15,000 retirement incentive being offered now, (I have 25 years under FERS, am a Postal Service employee, and am 64 years old), will my Blue Cross premiums go up? If so, by how much? I now pay $81.68 a month. Also, if I decide to get married, my family option now would be $203.61 a month. How much would these premiums be if I take the retirement incentive? I must make the decision by Dec. 3. Is the FERS pension amount taxed? If so, is it taxed by income and Federal Insurance Contributions Act? My…