ptsd Spousal Health Care Options

[john999]

Yes, ChampVA will pay the copays for what Medicare won't pay. ChampVA is a complete medical insurance with drug coverage and all the rest. My wife has it and when she gets Medicare I will drop the Family Blue Cross plan I am paying out the ying yang for now. I would not go one day without full medical coverage for you or your wife. One fall, one car wreck, or illness can blow away all your savings, and you end up with a lien on your house.

John

[georgiapapa]

John,

Is your Blue Cross plan from your employment or your wife's employment?

The reason I ask is I have Blue Cross family coverage from my employment. When my wife turns 65 next year I had planned to suspend her coverage with Blue Cross since she will be fully covered by Medicare and Champva and just keep self only coverage on myself along with my medicare. However, I found out I can not suspend her Blue Cross coverage because she is a dependent and dependents can not suspend their coverage but the insured (myself) can suspend their coverage without actually canceling it. If I just outright cancel the family coverage, my wife will not be permitted to sign up for the federal Blue Cross coverage in the future. I know she would still have medicare and Champva but I am afraid something could change in the future causing her to lose her medicare or Champva. Also, federal health plans for self plus one start January 2016 so hopefully my premium costs would be less than the family plan. There is so much uncertainty with health insurance these days.

Sorry for rambling on but I wanted to get your thoughts since we have similar situations.

Thanks

[john999]

Yes, I get Blue Cross from OPM and my wife is included in the family plan. I have Medicare now so that is primary for me. Blue Cross is still primary for my wife and ChampVA is secondary. When she gets Medicare I think I will suspend Blue Cross for her because it is expensive. For me as an individual I will keep it as my medigap. However, if you or me die while Blue Cross is suspended the spouse can't get it back. This is a dirty deal from OPM. The survivor benefit I pay for out of my pathetic pension, and yet my spouse wil lose the right to BC if I die while it is suspended! The money I get from VA is three times my OPM pension for 30 years under FERS. I get more from SSA than my pension. Most don't even have pensions. You are expected now to save for 40 years and make wise investment decisions so you can retire with a 401-K. 75% of citizens won't do this and will depend on SSA and foodstamps in their old age. I bought annuities for my wife and myself with investment money, but I think I am one in 10,000 workers who can do this and generate significant income down the road. You have to start planning when you are 18 years old for retirement.

John

[georgiapapa]

John

I planned to suspend my wife's coverage when she went on medicare but I was told by OPM that I could not suspend her coverage. According to OPM, dependents coverage can not be suspended, only the insured annuitant's coverage can be suspended. My plan was to suspend her coverage and keep self only coverage for myself but OPM said no. I don't want to suspend my coverage.

[Pete53]

ChampVA requires spouse to have medicare as first payor but it is cool cause ChampVA pays whatever Medicare does not once you meet 50 dollar annual,copay. Last year my wifes medical expense was about 140.000 and our total cost most for copays on meds was less than 900 bucks.

[georgiapapa]

Pete,

Has your wife ever used the "Meds by Mail" available through Champva if she does not have other prescription coverage outside of Champva?

My mother has Champva and medicare and she uses "Meds by Mail" for all of her prescriptions and the meds are free with no copays.

Georgiapapa