We know military benefits are confusing. Okay, really confusing. Hundreds of members contact our experts each month asking questions on topics ranging from TRICARE to overseas birth certificates. Check out the five most frequently asked questions — and answers — here!
1. Employer-provided Health Care and Medicare
2. Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)
3. Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Social Security
4. Retired Pay and Social Security
5. DD-214
1. I’m approaching age 65, currently employed with employer-provided health care coverage, and also receive military retired pay. I plan on working for a few more years — what do I need to do about Medicare? What about my spouse who is only 62?
If you are employed past age 65 and have employer-provided health care you can wait to enroll in Medicare Part B and will not be penalized a late enrollment fee as long as you enroll within eight months of your group health plan coverage ending. As a TRICARE beneficiary, you are required to enroll in Medicare when eligible in order to retain your TRICARE coverage. This means that you have two options; wait to enroll in Medicare and lose your TRICARE coverage until enrolled, or enroll in Medicare when you first become eligible and retain your TRICARE coverage without interruption.
If you choose to enroll in Medicare, most employer-provided health coverage will continue to be the primary payer with Medicare as your secondary and
TRICARE For Life (TFL) as your tertiary.
Should you choose to delay your Medicare enrollment, you will lose your TRICARE coverage upon turning age 65 and will have your employer-provided health insurance as a sole payer. Your TFL coverage will be reinstated upon your enrollment in Medicare. For further Medicare enrollment information visit www.ssa.gov.
Your spouse's TRICARE eligibility and coverage are not affected by your decision. He/she ages into Medicare and TFL at his/her age 65.
Related MOAA Info Exchange® publications:
Aging into Medicare
TRICARE For Life Checklist
2. I retired from the military and also have a disability rating from the VA. What is CRSC and who is eligible?
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) is a tax-free compensation awarded to retired servicemembers with combat or combat-related disabilities determined by their parent service. Retirees must be in receipt of retired pay and VA compensation with a VA-rated disability of 10 percent or greater in order to be eligible. The FY2008 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) eliminated the minimum 20 years of service requirement and now includes retirees with less than 20 years of service.
To apply, submit a completed DD Form 2860 to your service and applicable supporting documentation. You must be able to link the VA-rated disability or illness to a specific combat or combat-related event.
Air Force: www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/library/combat.asp
Navy/Marine Corps: www.donhq.navy.mil/corb/crscb/crscmainpage.htm
Coast Guard: www.uscg.mil/adm1/crsc.asp
U.S. Public Health Service Pay Center: (800) 638-8744
DoD CRSC Information: www.defenselink.mil/prhome/mppcrsc.html
3. How can I estimate what benefits my spouse can expect to receive from SBP and Social Security upon my death?
Your spouse will be entitled to 55 percent of your elected Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity base amount upon your passing. Both the annuity base amount and the 55 percent amount are listed on your retiree account statement. Retiree account statements are issued annually by the Department of Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) for Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, or the Coast Guard Pay Center for Coast Guard and NOAA.
In addition, your spouse will collect your Social Security benefits or his/her own — whichever is greater. For specific information regarding the amount your spouse will receive in Social Security upon your passing, contact the Social Security Administration by calling (800) 772-1213.
Related MOAA Info Exchange® publications:
Survivor Benefit Plan: Security for Your Survivors
Help Your Survivors Now: A Guide to Planning Ahead
4. What effect does Social Security have on my military retired pay? Is my military retired pay affected if I elect benefits early?
The bottom line is: Your military retired pay will not be affected when you begin collecting Social Security benefits. The two payments are separate and have no effect on each other.
The age at which you qualify for full Social Security retirement is determined by your year of birth. You can choose to collect Social Security retirement as young as age 62, but your benefits will be reduced. For more information regarding Social Security retirement benefits and reductions, please see this Social Security Administration Web page.
5. How can I obtain a copy of my military personnel records to include my DD-214?
You may request a copy of your military personnel records and a replacement DD-214 by submitting a Standard Form 180 (SF 180: Request Pertaining to Military Records) to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Mo. The quickest way is to submit the request on their Web site.
If you'd prefer to mail the form, print a Standard Form 180 from the NPRC's Web site: www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/standard-form-180.html.
The contact information for the NPRC is:
National Personnel Records Center
9700 Page Ave
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
Phone number: (314) 801-0800 (Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., CST)
E-mail: MPR.center@nara.gov
Web site: www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/index.html