Before you retire, it's important to explore all your options when you become eligible for Medicare. For federal retirees, this can be a bit tricky.  In this video, we go over your options if you're eligible for both Medicare and Federal Employee Health Benefits.

Active government workers and retirees are enrolled in the Federal Employee Retirement Health Benefits (FEHB) program. This program covers both inpatient and outpatient services, just like Medicare. This is why some beneficiaries who are eligible for both are confused about whether they need to enroll in each program.

For the most part, those enrolled in FEHB don't need to enroll in a Medigap, Medicare Part D, or Medicare Advantage plan because their benefits already include this coverage. However, because FEHB benefits are expensive, those who are newly eligible for Medicare wonder how they can coordinate their coverage to reduce their out-of-pocket costs.

There are a few ways to do this. The first way is to enroll in Part A to supplement your FEHB benefits. More than likely, you worked 40 quarters or 10 years and paid into Medicare throughout those years, making you eligible for premium-free Part A. You can also become eligible in Medicare Part A through your spouse if they've worked for 10 years.

Enrolling in Part A will give you extra coverage for any inpatient medical expenses you incur. Your FEHB will be primary and Medicare Part A will be secondary. You'll save money by not paying the monthly Part B premium. The downside is you'll pay copays for your out-of-pocket services.

Compare the cost of the Part B premium to what you could be spending in copays to determine which option will save you the most money.

The other downside is if you delay enrolling in Part B, you'll incur late enrollment penalties since FEHB is not considered creditable coverage through Medicare. So, an additional 10% will be added to your premium for every 12 months you went without coverage.

Your other option is to enroll in Part A and Part B to supplement your FEHB benefits. With this combination, you're paying for both FEHB and Medicare. Medicare is your primary coverage, and FEHB is secondary coverage. Your FEHB acts as a supplement plan and covers deductibles, copays, and coinsurance. With this combination, you can see any doctor that accepts Medicare and you'll even have some additional benefits under Part B that FEHB does not cover. Also, since FEBH includes prescription drug coverage, you wouldn't need to enroll in Part D.

The third way to do this is to enroll in Part A and Part B with Medicare Advantage or a Medigap plan, suspending your FEHB coverage. The reason Medicare beneficiaries go with this coverage is that they determine this combination would cost less than keeping FEHB.

We go into some frequently asked questions in this video as well! Please go to 3:07 for the answers.

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