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07-23-2020 06:25 AM
I was stunned to hear BCBS offered a rebate (never heard of such a thing).
I'm going to check to see if GEHA does this. I can't imagine why one would and another wouldn't.
If they do, I've missed out on 10 years worth of rebates.
07-23-2020 06:31 AM
Just found this:. Looks like the reimbursement is done under GEHA High Option only, and just started this year. I'm in Standard Option self and one, so...I won't get the reimbursement.
With GEHA’s High Option or Standard Option combined with Medicare A & B, a sudden hospital stay, a prolonged illness or a major surgical procedure won’t overwhelm your budget.
Highlights when you combine GEHA's High Option or Standard Option with Medicare A & B:
07-23-2020 10:04 AM - edited 07-23-2020 10:05 AM
@Eileen in Virginia : I passed the BCBS rebate info you posted into my FB feed (many of my friends are Federal retirees). I've already gotten several responses from friends stating they also didn't know about this ( and that each enrollee is entitled to that rebate).
07-24-2020 09:37 AM
@patbz wrote:@Eileen in Virginia : I passed the BCBS rebate info you posted into my FB feed (many of my friends are Federal retirees). I've already gotten several responses from friends stating they also didn't know about this ( and that each enrollee is entitled to that rebate).
@patbz That's great! To clarify, a covered enrollee could be the non-Federal spouse of a Federal retiree. Our friend's spouse was a stay-at-home mom who's covered under his BC/BS FEHB policy. Because she enrolled in Medicare A&B with BC/BS Basic coverage, she's also eligible for the rebate. So they received $1200 in rebates last year and will receive $1600 this year.
08-01-2020 09:46 PM
Thank you for asking this question and for everyone who has offered information. We are 61. My husband is a current letter carrier. We have standard Fed. BC/BS. I have just started to think about retirement and medical benefits since the age is approaching. This thread has been very informative.
08-02-2020 01:14 AM
You are getting a lot of good advice. Having worked with insurance in a hospital, I'd say keep the part b and get part d and use the other insurance as your secondary which will pick up your deductibles. We had a woman with dementia who droppped her part b and d. Then she had a major stroke. Needed complete care for every function. Family wanted her at home but they had no money to rent a hospital bed, buy her special formula, or rent her oxygen becashe did not have part b or d any longer. Hospital wanted her out but she had no insurance to cover another hospital because of needing extras that would have been covered by part b and d. Also avoid Medicare advantage plans as they deny, deny, deny. Or nobody takes that plan and your doctors are all out of network. Your other choice is to examine both policies and see if coverage overlaps and which offers you better coverage and is taken by most doctors. I recently had to change insurance and several of my doctors did not take my new Marketplace plan. Now I know which big medical chain and hospital takes this insurance so I keep it even though it's expensive per month. But it pays more of the bills than the cheaper plans and there are providers who take it. The point is examine your coverage, sit down and read the policy. You'll get a fat Medicare book or you can read online at the official Medicare website. Your workplace policy also has to give you a book saying what they cover and how much.
08-03-2020 10:41 AM
08-14-2020 10:31 AM
@Q-Checker wrote:I am a federal retiree with Medicare Parts A and B. On the advice of my physician, I kept my FEP Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance as my Seconday Insurance. The total for both seems like a lot of money but .... I rarely have to pay for anything out of pocket and have had some serious illnesses, hospitalization, and a stay of about a month in a Skilled Nursing Facility with a lengthy follow-up course of PT. I agree with the other advice you have been given re: not delaying Medicare B, etc. It may also be true that once you have dropped federal health insurance, you cannot get it later if you are a retiree. This is worth checking into I suggest going for the most comprehensive insurance that you can afford as health care needs increase in senior citizens.
Just turned 65 a few months ago. Found a small paragraph on OPM website that explains it so I called to verify. I kept my FEP Blue and got Medicare A/B because I battled cancer 8 years ago and had to pay the catastrophic out of pocket limit which equalled close to $7500 (bc my treatment crossed two calendar years) so it was $5K for the first year and just under $2500 for the few months the next year. Paying for both (Part B and BCBS FEP) so far means I've not had to pay for recent medical visits - Medicare has picked up the primary and any deductibles or copays have been paid by my FEP Blue as secondary.
08-14-2020 01:54 PM
My husband retired from GSA in April 2020, we also kept our primary issuance (MHBP) which became our secondary, and he took both parts of Medicare, our view is you never know the future or what will happen tomorrow
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