Search results for should federal annuitants enroll in medicare part b after age 65

149 articles found

  • Should Federal Annuitants Stay Enrolled in the FEHB program after Age 65?

    You could drop FEHB coverage once you enroll in Parts A and B. But this would be a bad decision. Medicare Part B requires you to pay 20 percent of the cost of doctors’ fees, and deductibles, with no

  • Medicare

    I'm a retired Federal employee with FEHB health insurance. My insurer is telling me I have to use Medicare part A. I don't want to use it because that's taxpayers money. I paid for insurance coverage

  • FEHB & Medicare Part D

    The Medicare Part D prescription drug program benefits millions of Americans. It fills a major hole in Medicare that lasted 50 years. But, historically, it would rarely benefit federal retirees who

  • Big Changes in How Federal Annuitants Receive Prescription Drug Benefits in 2024 and Beyond

    Major Medicare Part D reforms were enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). Some of the legislation’s provisions seek to lower prescription drug costs for both Medicare beneficiaries and

  • IRMAA - Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts

    What is IRMAA? IRMAA stands for Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts. High-income households pay an extra charge—IRMAA—on top of the standard Medicare premium. IRMAA can apply to either Medicare

  • FEHB & Medicare Advantage

    Federal retirees have Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to consider joining. Our analysis shows that some of these offerings are an outstanding value. Aetna, APWU, Compass Rose, Kaiser, GEHA, MHBP, Rural

  • Reasons Why You Shouldn't Enroll in Medicare Part B

    Here are a few scenarios why retirees should consider not taking Part B. High Income Couples and Individuals that pay IRMAA—If you fall into one of the high-income categories (more than $103,000

  • Reasons Why You Should Enroll in Medicare Part B

    The most common question we receive every Open Season from retirees and soon-to-be retirees is whether to take Part B and pay the extra premium. Given that there is a penalty if you delay Part B

  • Doctors

    My doctors are not preferred providers in any plan. What should I do? Set up an FSA account for about half the amount you expect to spend on those doctors. Then pick one of the top ranked plans that

  • Medicare and Provider Selection

    We rate plan costs based on the assumption that you will always or almost always want to use preferred providers, also known as staying in network. However, network problems largely disappear if you

  • Should I Use Preferred Providers With My FEHB Plan?

    We rate plan costs based on the assumption that you will always or almost always want to use preferred providers, also known as staying in network. Your cost is always lower, usually far lower, when

  • How the FEHB Program Works

    The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) is an unconventional government program. Instead of giving you one "take it or leave it" choice, the government authorizes plans to compete for

  • How Retired Couples Can Save Money by Choosing Self-Only FEHB Enrollment

    For a husband and wife who are both Federal annuitants and who have no dependent children, it is possible to save on premium costs by enrolling separately as self only rather than together as self

  • What Federal Annuitants Need to Know about Medicare Part D for 2024

    Federal annuitants will have higher healthcare costs in 2024. The enrollee share for FEHB premiums is rising 7.7%, and the standard Medicare Part B premium is increasing 5.9%, or $9.80, to

  • Medicare Basics - The Four Parts of Medicare - A, B, C, D

    Medicare Part A—Hospital Insurance—When you become eligible to join Medicare, you'll be enrolled in Part A. Most people don't pay an extra premium as you've been paying for Part A through paycheck

  • 2024 FEHB Program Changes

    The average 2024 premium will increase 7.7% for enrollees. This is considerably higher than historical experience in the FEHB, but is similar to most private employer cost increases and largely

  • Can you Save Money by Enrolling in FEHB Self Plus One?

    Married couples with no children to cover, and single parents with one child to cover, can enroll as self plus one rather than as a family and, depending on the plan, usually save two or three

  • Advice for Persons Who Pay Full FEHB Premiums

    The FEHB program also provides coverage for former spouses, former employees, children turning age 26, and others. In each of these cases, the covered enrollee must pay the full premium without

  • Are Consumer Driven Health Plans the Right FEHB Plan Type for You?

    Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPs) have been around for a while, but we still get a lot of questions about them. Here’s why they’re one of the lowest-cost plans in FEHB. How CDHPs work CDHPs have

  • Part B Rebate

    A few plans offer partial Medicare Part B reimbursements for those enrolled in Medicare Part B. These savings are included in our yearly cost estimates with Medicare Parts A & B and in the Extra Cost

  • High Deductible Health Plans

    I am confused regarding the difference between a consumer directed health plan with a health reimbursement account and a high deductible health plan that can have a health savings account. What sets

  • Weight Loss Drug Coverage from FEHB Plans and Medicare

    Weight-loss drug popularity has skyrocketed. Between 2020 to 2022, the number of prescriptions has risen to around 9 million in the U.S. With celebrity attention, positive clinical trials, and even

  • Extra Cost of Part B

    The difference between what you will likely pay, including both premiums and out-of-pocket costs, when you have an FEHB plan with both Medicare Parts A and B, compared to the same plan with only Part

  • How Much Money Can I Save by Switching FEHB Plans?

    Whether your family's circumstances are "average" or unusual, some HMOs, some national plans such as Blue Cross Basic and GEHA Standard option, and several High-Deductible plans offer big savings

  • Yearly Cost Estimate - Medicare Parts A & B

    Your yearly estimated costs include your premiums and what you have to pay for your share of hospital, doctor, prescriptions, and other services. For this estimate we include the Part B premium in

  • Are High Deductible Health Plans the Right FEHB Plan Type for You?

    For most federal employees, High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) will be the cheapest FEHB plan type. Here’s how they work. HDHP Overview HDHPs have much higher deductibles than traditional HMO and

  • Yearly Cost Estimate - Medicare Part A only

    Your yearly estimated costs include your FEHB premium and what you have to pay for your share of hospital, doctor, prescription, and other costs. We calculate typical costs for someone like you for

  • What's New in FEHB for 2024

    Every year it’s important to review what’s new in FEHB. As in previous years, there are significant premium, benefit, and plan availability changes that will affect both active and retired federal

  • 13 FEHB Open Season Tips

    Getting "Free" Health Insurance—Some Consumer-Driven and High Deductible FEHB plans provide you a savings account larger than your actual premium cost after taxes. You can end the year with more

  • How can Checkbook's Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees help me?

    Checkbook's Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees gives you vital shopping information that you cannot get from any other source. It tells you how much money you can save by changing—or by

  • FEHB Tax Savings for Federal Employees

    There are major tax advantages for health insurance. The employer share of health insurance—paid by agencies for employees and by OPM for retirees—is part of employee compensation but by law is

  • Should I Join a High Deductible Plan in the FEHB Program?

    Over a dozen national and some local carriers offer High Deductible plans (HDHP), with at least two or three of these plans available to most enrollees. HDHPs offer spectacular savings opportunities

  • What Federal Employees Need to Know About FEHB Premium Conversion

    Federal employees shelter their share of the FEHB plan premium from income taxes through what is called "Premium Conversion." Employees have the right to opt out of this program. This increases very

  • Why Every Federal Employee Should Consider a Health Savings Account

    High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP), which include Health Savings Accounts (HSA), are one of the cheapest health plan options available to federal employees. With an increase in HSA contributions for

  • Why Every Federal Employee Should Have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

    Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) provide a way to shelter even more health care spending from taxes. FSAs allow you to shelter the out-of-pocket costs that you incur for copayments, coinsurance,

  • Spousal Insurance

    My husband is retiring and we are trying to decide if he should be put on my insurance plan. My concern is, if I were to pass away would he still be covered or would he have to find his own? Any

  • How to Save Money on FEHB Coverage and Healthcare Costs

    With the average enrollee share of FEHB premium increasing 7.7% next year, most federal employees will pay more for health insurance in 2024. We’ll analyze this premium hike and walk you through

  • Should I suspend FEHB coverage and just have Medicare Advantage?

    If you join a commercial MA plan, not FEHB Medicare Advantage plans, you can temporarily suspend your FEHB enrollment and stop paying two sets of premiums. Under the suspend option, you pay the Part

  • Limitations on FEHB Enrollment

    Many plans are open to all employees. However, HMOs require that you live or work in their service area, and a few plans require that you work for a particular agency or join a specific union. Most

  • Kaiser Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this Kaiser FEHB plan, have Medicare Parts A & B, and enroll in Kaiser's special Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive better benefits but no Medicare Part B reimbursement. Check

  • GEHA Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this GEHA FEHB plan, have Medicare Parts A & B, and in enroll in GEHA's special Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive both better benefits and a Medicare Part B premium

  • MHBP Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this MHBP FEHB plan, have Medicare Parts A & B, and in enroll in MHBP's special Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive both better benefits and a Medicare Part B premium

  • Kaiser Medicare Advantage 2

    If you enroll in this Kaiser FEHB plan, have Medicare Parts A & B, and in enroll in Kaiser's special Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive both better benefits and a Medicare Part B premium

  • Compass Rose Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this Compass Rose FEHB plan, have Medicare Parts A & B, and in enroll in Compass Rose's special Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive both better benefits and a Medicare Part B

  • Rural Carrier Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this Rural Carrier FEHB plan, have Medicare Parts A & B, and in enroll in Rural Carrier's special Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive both better benefits and a Medicare Part B

  • What Part-Time Employees Need to Know About the FEHB Program

    Many career Federal employees work part-time schedules. In these cases, most government agencies do not pay the regular share of the premium. Instead, employees receive a pro rata amount based on

  • Kaiser Senior Advantage

    If you enroll in this Kaiser FEHB plan, have Medicare Parts A & B, and enroll in Kaiser's special Senior Advantage plan, you will receive better benefits but no Medicare Part B reimbursement. Check

  • Kaiser Senior Advantage 2

    If you enroll in this Kaiser FEHB plan, have Medicare Parts A & B, enroll in Kaiser's special Senior Advantage plan, you will receive both better benefits and a Medicare Part B premium reimbursement.

  • Health Alliance Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A and B, and the Health Alliance Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive Medicare Part B premium reimbursements and lower out-of-pocket costs for

  • CDPHP Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A and B, and the CDPHP Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive Medicare Part B premium reimbursements and lower out-of-pocket costs for medical