FEHB can continue after you retire
FEHB is different from many private employer plans. If you meet the enrollment rule, you can keep FEHB as a retiree, and the government still pays part of the premium. The Office of Personnel Management says the government share is no more than 75% of the premium. Your plan brochure shows the dollar amount for that year.
The five-year rule
To keep FEHB into retirement, you generally must have been enrolled in FEHB, or covered as a family member, for the five years of service right before you retire. If you had less than five years of service, the rule is continuous enrollment from your first chance to join. Thirty years of service does not by itself prove the five-year rule. Confirm it with your agency and with OPM before you retire. OPM’s FEHB retirement page is the official starting point.
Part A is often free
Most people who paid Medicare taxes for 40 quarters (10 years) do not pay a Part A premium. Federal workers have generally paid the Medicare tax since 1983, including many people in the older CSRS system. CSRS work before 1983 did not count toward Medicare. If you are not sure you have 40 quarters, ask Social Security. Do not guess from the hire date.
- 40 or more quarters: Part A premium is usually $0.
- 30 to 39 quarters: the 2026 reduced Part A premium is $311 a month.
- Fewer than 30 quarters: the 2026 full Part A premium is $565 a month.
If Part A is free, most people enroll at 65
Premium-free Part A adds hospital coverage and does not add a monthly bill. Buying Part A when you do not have 40 quarters is a different decision. At $565 a month in 2026, many people do not buy it. Confirm the quarters and the premium with Social Security before you enroll or decline.
Part B is the main decision
Part B is medical insurance for doctor visits and other outpatient care. The standard premium in 2026 is $202.90 a month. Some people pay more because of income. That extra amount is IRMAA. For 2026, Social Security looks at 2024 income. IRMAA can start when that income is above $109,000 for a single filer, or above $218,000 for a joint return. What IRMAA is.
How Part B and retiree FEHB pay together
After you retire, Medicare is usually primary and FEHB is secondary if you have both. Medicare pays its share first. Your FEHB plan may pay some or all of what Medicare does not. How much is left depends on that plan’s brochure. It is not a promise that every bill goes to zero.
- FEHB and Part B: Medicare pays first. FEHB may pay part of the rest. Doctor visits, outpatient care, and equipment are the costs people compare.
- FEHB only, no Part B: FEHB stays primary. You do not pay the Part B premium. You may pay more of each doctor bill, outpatient bill, and equipment claim.
When people look harder at the Part B premium
The premium is more likely to matter if you see doctors often, expect outpatient care, or your FEHB plan leaves a large share of those bills to you. It may matter less if you rarely use care and the FEHB plan already pays most outpatient costs. A higher income can raise the premium enough to change the comparison. This page cannot see your health or your tax return.
The late penalty, and the 8-month window
FEHB from current federal employment is usually a reason to delay Part B without a late penalty. The Special Enrollment Period is 8 months after the job or that employer coverage ends, whichever comes first. FEHB you keep as a retiree does not keep that window open. Once you are retired, waiting past the 8 months can add a Part B penalty for as long as you have Part B. Still working at 65 and late penalties explain the difference. Confirm the dates with Social Security.
Suspend FEHB. Do not cancel it to try Medicare Advantage
If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan and you want to set FEHB aside, ask OPM about suspension. Suspension can let you return to FEHB during a later Open Season, or sooner if you lose the other coverage. Cancellation is different. It is generally permanent. Do not cancel FEHB because a plan advertisement says you can always come back. Confirm the suspension form with OPM before you send it.
Part D, Medigap, and care outside the United States
FEHB drug coverage is generally creditable, so many people keep it and do not join a separate Part D plan. Your plan should send a creditable-coverage notice. Read that notice. It is the document that matters, not a general rule on this page.
A separate Medigap policy is uncommon
Medigap works with Original Medicare. It is not FEHB. Many federal retirees do not buy a separate Medigap policy because FEHB already pays after Medicare. Buying both means two premiums. Some people still look at Medigap if they are thinking about leaving FEHB. That is a separate decision from enrolling in Part B.
Travel outside the United States
Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the United States. Many FEHB plans do pay some care abroad. The plan brochure states the rules. Medicare outside the United States explains what Medicare itself does not cover.
Who can walk through it with you
California’s free counseling program is HICAP, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, at 1-800-434-0222. Social Security confirms quarters, Part A, and Part B. OPM and your plan brochure confirm FEHB. My Medicare Checkup is a way to write down doctors, drugs, and costs before that conversation. It does not enroll you.
Common questions
Choose a question. The answer stays until you press Back or Next.
Does 30 years of federal service mean I can keep FEHB?
Not by itself. You generally need FEHB enrollment for the five years of service immediately before retirement, or for your entire federal career if that is shorter. Confirm with your agency and OPM.
Should every federal retiree take Part B?
No. If Part A is free, most people enroll in it. Part B has a monthly premium. Whether that premium is useful depends on the FEHB plan, the care you use, and whether income raises the premium. This page does not decide that.
Can I cancel FEHB and rejoin later?
Cancellation is generally permanent. Suspension is the path people ask about when they enroll in Medicare Advantage and want the right to return to FEHB. Confirm the form with OPM before you send it.
My Medicare Checkup
Answer a few questions about your ZIP code, what matters about cost and doctors, and where you get care. The summary shows the questions those answers raise. Confirm each one with the office, the plan, or Medicare.gov. A listing in a directory, or the name of a plan, does not show whether a doctor is in the network, whether a prescription is covered, or what you would pay this year.
Start My Medicare CheckupYou will get a summary of the questions to verify. You can also talk it through with Alan.