Anonymous wrote:Yeah, if you hit MRA with at least 10 years of service, you can opt for postponed retirement, which means you wait until 60 or 62 to begin receiving your pension and FEHB benefits. This allows you to avoid the reduction in pension for claiming your benefit early.
If you leave the gov’t before you hit your MRA then you can opt for deferred retirement, which means you delay receiving your pension. But with deferred retirement you do not get FEHB.
I’m just trying to think through how much I’m giving up if I leave before my MRA, which means deferred rather than postponed retirement. Even with postponed retirement you will have a health insurance gap to fill, but you can get FEHB when you start receiving your pension.
It starts to add up fast.
COBRA or ACA between leaving govt and 65 (assuming you are not leaving for another job at 57)
Value of FEHB coverage for a younger spouse if you have one (vs them having to pay for coverage to 65)
Costs of the Medicare elements functionally replaced by an FEHB plan (D and arguably B)