Browsing: Medicare

Q. I am about to turn 65 and I have FEHB. Is there any reason to sign up for Medicare part B. The literature on this is confusing and never really answers the question yes or no. Does paying the extra cost of part B make sense? What is the advantage? A. There is not one-size-fits-all way to make this decision. You should only apply for and pay for Medicare Part B, in addition to comprehensive major medical coverage, if you are confident that you will recover at least as much in additional benefits than you will pay in premiums…

Q. Required minimum distribution requirements will put me close to the Medicare cut off, so I need to reduce my TSP balance by converting current TSP money, by changing contributions to go into a Roth TSP or by selling mutual fund investments that are causing taxable gains every year. I plan to retire Jan. 3, 2020. I am already 70.5 years. Would one of these options be better than another or is there another option that you could suggest?

Q. When my husband, a federal employee who carried the FEHB, died, I continued his FEHB for myself, paying monthly premiums. I signed up for Medicare Part A about six months ago. I am also a federal employee, plan to retire this year and will continue paying my husband’s FEHB premiums so I will have coverage in addition to my Medicare Part A. My question is: Do I need to purchase Medicare Part B now or when I retire, or not at all?

Q. What does Social Security consider substantial earnings? It says if you have more than 30 years of substantial earnings, the windfall elimination doesn’t apply. I have 32 years of taxed Social Security earnings and 37 years of taxed Medicare earnings, but I am not sure what substantial is.

Q. I recently retired from federal service without adequate information on purchasing Medicare Part B. On the surface I was wondering if it made any sense to expand my health insurance beyond what I was getting as a full-time employee. I was unable to find a source where someone actually did an economic analysis of the issue. From my standpoint, it is an economic decision: I can afford to pay either way. I have Kaiser health insurance in northern California, and it seems to save $5 when I see a doctor if I pay for Part B; $10 for a prescription. This…

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