Whether or not to enroll in (Medicare Part B (medical insurance) is a key decision that federal retirees aged 65 and older have to make. Because there is a penalty for not enrolling in Part B within a few months of the enrollment deadline, federal retirees are under pressure to make a decision. Ed Zurndorfer gives insight on how the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program works with Medicare, when Medicare is the primary payer, and how FEHB premiums are affected by Medicare Part B more…
Medicare and Federal Employees
How the Medicare Open Enrollment Period Affects Federal Retirees
Ed Zurndorfer discusses what the Medicare open enrollment period is (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7), how it affects federal retirees, and the opportunities that federal retirees enrolled in Medicare have with respect to their health insurance coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program (FEHB) more…
Understanding Medicare Enrollment Periods and the Late Enrollment Penalty
Enrolling in Medicare can be confusing — and if not done by the required deadline, can result in late enrollment penalties. Ed Zurndorfer outlines the various enrollment periods for Medicare — plus when penalties are imposed, and how they are calculated more…
Medicare Open Enrollment is Oct. 15 – Dec. 7
Through Dec. 7, eligible federal employees and retirees can make changes to their coverage that will be effective January 1. Resources to discover options and compare plan are available more…
How Federal Employees Qualify For Medicare
Once a federal employee or retiree becomes age 65, they can enroll in Medicare. But many have questions about Medicare enrollment and how it works with the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. In the first part of this series of columns on Medicare, Ed Zurndorfer discusses the various parts to the Medicare program and how federal employees qualify for Medicare more…
Medicare Mistakes Federal Retirees Should Avoid
Missing enrollment deadlines, delaying enrollment, and choosing the wrong type of Medicare can potentially cost a federal retiree a lot of money. Ed Zurndorfer provides a completely updated outline of the most common mistakes federal retirees should avoid when enrolling in Medicare more…
Federal Retirees Can Appeal Higher Medicare Part B Premiums
Ed Zurndorfer explains why many federal employees pay higher Medicare Part B monthly premiums and it’s impact on retirement income planning — plus how to appeal the higher premiums with practical examples more…
What Federal Employees & Retirees Need to Know About Medicare Part D and FEHB
Should federal retirees enroll in in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan? Ed Zurndorfer provides an explanation of Medicare Part D , enrollment deadlines, three ways FEHB enrollees benefit from it — plus the important reasons why a federal retiree should decline enrollment in Medicare Part D
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How FEHB and Medicare Work Together in Retirement
Chris Kowalik examines the two parts of Medicare that retiring federal employees should be most concerned about, the pros and cons of having both FEHB and Medicare in retirement, plus three different FEHB and Medicare combinations — and their advantages and disadvantages more…
Federal Employee Pay Raises vs. Retiree COLAs
Chris Kowalik discusses the differences between pay raises and federal retiree COLAs — including who gets them, how they are determined, and when they are applied more…