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…
Browsing: Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Q. I am 68 years old and signed up for Medicare Part A before my 66th birthday. I have not signed up for Part B for several reasons. 1. My husband is 60 years old and we have insurance coverage with Federal Employee Plan Blue Cross/Blue Shield. 2. We are posted out of the country, in the Czech Republic. 3. I have no occasion here to use Medicare or incur its costs. Health costs are self-paid upfront in full and then partially reimbursed by our insurance company. I believe individuals are penalized 10 percent per year for not signing up for Medicare when…
Q. I’m a federal retiree who is considering changing to Blue Cross/Blue Shield Basic during the next open season. How does Medicare Part A work in conjunction with BC/BS Basic? Which would be the primary? A. Medicare would be primary and your Federal Employees Health Benefits plan secondary. To find out how the two benefits would be coordinated, check with your plan.
Q. I have been retired under Social Security disability since 2000. I declined Part B because of federal insurance. My Postal Service disability turned over to regular pension at age 62. I am now 64. According to new law, I am eligible for regular Social Security at age 66. Will my federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield continue until age 66, or does it end at age 65? And do benefits change at all? Do I then have to apply for Part B at 65, or do I wait to apply at 66? And do I have to pay a penalty for…
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. My sister is a retired police officer living in North Carolina and will be eligible for Medicare in August. How does she apply for Medicare? All of the questions I’ve looked at address retirees who are on Social Security, which she will not be. She will continue with Blue Cross/Blue Shield government health insurance. A. She should call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 and talk to one of their benefits specialists. If she isn’t eligible for a Social Security benefit, she won’t be eligible for Medicare Part A. However, she can enroll in Part B at her own…
Q. I have the standard option federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I will be 65 this year and will sign up for Medicare Part B. Should I reduce my federal coverage to the basic option? A. Only you can answer that question. You’ll need to compare the benefits in each Federal Employees Health Benefits option with what Medicare provides and how the two interact. Since you know both your current level of health and what you anticipate (or fear) may happen in the future, you are in a better position than anyone else to decide which is the better choice.
Q. We are getting conflicting answers to a question. I am retired from Civil Service and have Blue Cross Blue Shield (high option), as well as Medicare Parts A and B. My husband is under my BCBS policy. He just turned 65 but will continue to work until 66. Can he apply for his Medicare card Parts A and B now? If yes, how and where? Medicare has not sent us paperwork. A. He can apply online at www.ssa.gov/medicareonly.
Q. 1. Can someone switch from Blue Cross/Blue Shield to Medicare Part B at age 71? 2. Should it be done? 3. If yes, how can it be done, and what are the costs? I am 71 and self-employed (since 2011), covered under my wife’s federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan. My wife has been retired for a few years and she also turned 71 in 2012. My wife was just operated for a brain tumor and is being scheduled for radiation therapy and chemotherapy. A. While your wife could disenroll from the Federal Employees Health Benefits program and both of…
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…