david.alan.williams
Member
Thanks everyone for the kind words! Evinrude, I like that Birchtree and I may do exactly that, as you suggested. Someone asked if I was drawing my 90% VA yet and yes I am. It's a little tight at the moment since I haven't received my first FERS check yet but I'm getting by just fine.
On another note about the FERS disability process, we are required by law to file for Social Security disability whether we want to on not, as a part of the FERS disability retirement packet. They won't even process your atFERS paperwork until you bring back proof that you applied. Since I was still working at the time, I was obviously denied SS disability as I made too much money. The lady at the SS office told me to come back after the government had terminated my employment.
Now if I reapply and are approved for SS disability, it's not really much of a gain at all the best I remember because the FERS would be offset and greatly reduced. I will recheck and let you know the percentages and figures. If its not much of an overall gain, I probably won't apply because of the Medicare catch 22. If I am approved for SS disability, then in one year from that date, I would automatically be enrolled in Medicare thus my BCBS would no longer be primary and that really bothers me a lot. Due to court rulings, you can't OPT OUT of Medicare.
What are your thoughts and knowledge about the SS offset of FERS and the Medicare Catch 22? Am I thinking correctly about not applying?
Thanks!
On another note about the FERS disability process, we are required by law to file for Social Security disability whether we want to on not, as a part of the FERS disability retirement packet. They won't even process your atFERS paperwork until you bring back proof that you applied. Since I was still working at the time, I was obviously denied SS disability as I made too much money. The lady at the SS office told me to come back after the government had terminated my employment.
Now if I reapply and are approved for SS disability, it's not really much of a gain at all the best I remember because the FERS would be offset and greatly reduced. I will recheck and let you know the percentages and figures. If its not much of an overall gain, I probably won't apply because of the Medicare catch 22. If I am approved for SS disability, then in one year from that date, I would automatically be enrolled in Medicare thus my BCBS would no longer be primary and that really bothers me a lot. Due to court rulings, you can't OPT OUT of Medicare.
What are your thoughts and knowledge about the SS offset of FERS and the Medicare Catch 22? Am I thinking correctly about not applying?
Thanks!
