Medicare Part B: Do you need it?

FromYour Turn with Mike Causey

Start listening View podcast show

Medicare Part B: Do you need it?

FromYour Turn with Mike Causey

ratings:

Length:

41 minutes

Released:

Dec 6, 2017

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Nearly half the questions health insurance hunters have involve or revolve around Medicare Part B. As in, do I need it? Can I afford it? What, if any, are the alternatives to Medicare Part B? What happens to the premium if I delay taking it? And by the way, what is it?The short answer is that it depends. On your age, health, financial situation, etc.

Released:

Dec 6, 2017

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Federal News Network Senior Correspondent Mike Causey discusses everything of interest to federal employees, from pay, benefits and retirement, to buyouts, COLAs and pay freezes.

Skip carousel

What is your plan B?: Are you planning to retire soon or leave your federal job? What happens to your benefits? Find out when benefits expert John Grobe joins host Mike Causey on this weeks Your Turn. July 26, 2017 by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Index Funds & The TSP: Follow The Money: The biggest gains federal worker and retiree investors have made in their Thrift Savings Plan accounts have come from the stock-indexed C, S and I funds. But whats an index and whats an index fund. And why do you need them in your portfolio?... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Tips for protecting your retirement nest egg: Are you excited, dazzled and worried sometimes at the same time by the stock market boom? Are you concerned about what many experts say is a long-overdue market correction? Do you still have the occasional nightmare about the Great Recession?... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Your benefits package from A to Z: Do you know whats in your federal benefits package? If not you should. Federal benefits expert Tammy Flanagan will explain why when she joins host Mike Causey on this weeks Your Turn. by Your Turn with Mike Causey
1 min listen
Do you have a plan B for your TSP?: Have you protected your TSP from the next stock market crash? Financial planner Arthur Stein will explain what you should be doing now to protect your financial assets when he joins host Mike Causey on this weeks Your Turn. by Your Turn with Mike Causey
42 min listen
Congress is back! What does that mean for you? by Your Turn with Mike Causey
51 min listen
Protecting your retirement benefits in 2018: Jessica Klement, staff vice president for advocacy at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, talks about the save-the-benefits effort and what you can do about it. She also gives us background on what was threatened... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
44 min listen
Switching partners? How about switching health plans?: Every year Uncle Sam holds an open season, when federal workers, retirees and their survivors can update, enroll in or change their benefits package. by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Is there a buyout (or a layoff) in your future? by Your Turn with Mike Causey
42 min listen
The bull market: How long can it last?: One of the longest-running bull markets in history is celebrating its ninth birthday this month. So how long can it go? Weeks? Months? Years? And when it does correct — how low will it go? We asked Arthur Stein, a Washington-area financial... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
1 min listen
Are changes coming to your retirement plan?: Are there people in your office who love their jobs and dread retirement but who are putting in their papers effective at the end of this month? Why are so many federal workers suddenly very nervous in the civil service? Some, maybe many,... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
46 min listen
Should you stick with TSP after you retire?: Why do so many federal employees move out of TSP when they retire from the government? What should you do? by Your Turn with Mike Causey
1 min listen
The ‘7 rules’ of retirement: When people close in on their retirement date many become anxious about life after a steady, bi-weekly paycheck. The old Civil Service Retirement System provided a much more generous pension/annuity than the Federal Employees Retirement... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
47 min listen
What does the future hold for your TSP?: This week on Your Turn, financial planner Arthur Stein tells feds and retirees what, if anything, they should be doing now with their Thrift Savings Plan accounts. by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
The pros & cons of the blended retirement system by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Is it time to change your health plan?: Most feds will stay in the same health plan theyve been in for years. Maybe even decades. Walton Francis, editor of Consumers Checkbook Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, says thats a mistake. Francis says all of the plans are... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Buyouts: What, if anything is likely to happen?: Are you one of hundreds of thousands of federal workers who could retire tomorrow if you wanted to? What if Uncle Sam made you a once-in-a-lifetime cash offer you couldnt refuse. And what if that payment, now $25,000, was bumped up by... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
45 min listen
The 2017 Tax Act: How does it affect you?: The 2017 Tax Act: How does it affect you? by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
The new, improved TSP: What does it mean for you?: When they leave or retire from the government, just over half of Thrift Savings Plan participants move most or all of their TSP balances someplace else. This despite the fact that the TSP has some of the lowest administrative fees in the... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
TSP: A year in review: This week on Your Turn, certified financial planner Arthur Stein joins host Mike Causey to talk about the Thrift Savings Plan and how to grow your retirement nest egg. He said returns were excellent for all the TSP stock funds last year,... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
42 min listen
SES: Alive & kicking: How things are going for the SES and SEA. by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
The TSP: Is 2018 going to be a down year?: The TSP: Is 2018 going to be a down year? by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Are retirement changes coming in 2017/18?: Congress and the White House are considering several proposals to slim down or eliminate portions of the federal retirement program. Will they pass and if so, how will they affect you? Find out when NARFE Legislative Director Jessica Klement... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
AFGE: The impact of President Trump’s executive orders: In the news business the best way to bury a story is to release or leak it on the Friday before a major national holiday. Such was the case this Memorial Day weekend when three executive orders designed to whip the bureaucracy in shape... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Medicare Part B: Do you need it?: Nearly half the questions health insurance hunters have involve or revolve around Medicare Part B. As in, do I need it? Can I afford it? What, if any, are the alternatives to Medicare Part B? What happens to the premium if I delay taking... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
41 min listen
2017: A year in review: This week on Your Turn, Federal News Radio reporters Nicole Ogrysko, Scott Maucione and Meredith Somers join host Mike Causey to discuss the top federal news stories in 2017 and what is (maybe) going to be on tap for 2018. by Your Turn with Mike Causey
1 min listen
Civil service reform: The SEA perspective: Many say the thin red line between partisan politicians of both parties and the career civil service is the 9,100 members of the career Senior Executive Service. The SES came out of the Carter administration’s effort to revamp the civil... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Estate planning: Where do you start?: Your federal retirement could last decades so it pays to plan ahead. As in having a plan. Doing the right/smart thing now means a payoff for you, for your spouse/significant other and your children. And peace of mind. The way you get... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Is there a buyout in your future?: Although buyouts are out there, the odds that you personally will get a $25,000 to $40,000 payment to leave are slim and none. You can wait, and hope, and maybe, just maybe get lucky. But the deck is stacked against you. by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen
Does telework need to be restricted, or improved?: We take a look at teleworking on this episode of Your Turn radio show. My guest is Frank Landefeld from MorganFranklin. He’s an expert in business development and engagement in federal, state and local governments. Rather than restricting... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
43 min listen

More Episodes from Your Turn with Mike Causey

Skip carousel

Final Your Turn episode to pay tribute to Mike Causey: Listen to the final Your Turn with Mike Causey show. It’s a special tribute to Mike, who passed away in late September 2022, hosted by Federal Drive anchor Tom Temin and executive editor Jason Miller. Current and former Federal News Network... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
64 min listen
Your estate plan: How to secure (or tarnish) your legacy: In many ways, the way you handle your final affairs will determine how your family and friends remember you. So it’s important to get it right. Years ago, my uncle died and left his large, 700-plus acre farm (for comparison, New York’s... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
58 min listen
Your estate plan: How to secure (or tarnish) your legacy: In many ways, the way you handle your final affairs will determine how your family and friends remember you. So it’s important to get it right. Years ago, my uncle died and left his large, 700-plus acre farm (for comparison, New York’s... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
58 min listen
Wanna be a TSP millionaire: Have you got the right stuff?: Many people consider Michelangelo’s statue of David to be the most perfect sculpture ever. It was done in the early 1500s and stands 10 feet tall. Pretty impressive. Yet a friend of mine, Bill B, claims that his brother in-law, who has... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
58 min listen
TSP Jeopardy quiz: Do you dare take it?: Have you got what it takes to make the final cut, and maybe become a contestant on the popular TV show Jeopardy? Maybe become a millionaire? Interested? Take this test. If you dare… What weighs 990 million pounds, is worth $743 billion... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
54 min listen
TSP returns: Who hit the down button?: After one of the best, longest bull market runs in history, the continuing downhill trajectory of the stock market has lots of investors wondering what — if anything — they could and should be doing. At a time of an evolving pandemic, an... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
53 min listen
Gift cards for the IRS? Probably not!: If an IRS agent calls you at home or office and asks you to send him or her a gift card, don’t do it! Even if you owe money, that is not the correct (or legal) way to get back in Uncle Sam’s good graces! By the same token if someone from... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
53 min listen
Pay Raise, COLA, TSP troubles and the G-fund: If you are working, retired, building a nest egg or living off one, these are tough emotional times. If you want good news, you’ve learned to avoid the financial news or stock market reports. Also national news, international news and,... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
54 min listen
Today’s subject: Irrevocable trusts … zzzzzz: When is the last time you and your significant other took a romantic weekend to rekindle the fire? And spent most of the time, at the beach or in the mountains, talking about the pros and cons of an irrevocable trust? Wild guess: How about... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
50 min listen
Social Security: On life support?: When Social Security was launched in 1935, the average life expectancy for men was 59.9 years and 63.9 for women. Full benefits started at 65, so do the math! It sounded almost like a safe, government-guaranteed Ponzi Scheme, minus the... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
54 min listen
New TSP options: Road to riches, or paralysis by analysis?: Retirement benefits for career feds and military personnel will be based on their length of service and salary. Unlike the vast majority of private pension plans, the federal-military programs are protected from inflation. Benefits will... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
52 min listen
The TSP in troubled times: Go long!: It’s hard to think about next summer’s vacation at the beach in February when there is a blizzard outside and your roof is groaning under the weight of all that ice and snow. There are times when it is important to live in the moment and... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
50 min listen
Your retirement trifecta: For many career feds and postal workers the best date to retire is simple! You haul assets ASAP. You leave a soon as you are eligible to receive an immediate annuity. Period. Maybe you hate your job. Or your colleagues. Or the boss.... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
Can you afford not to have a trust?: If you can afford to leave your spouse, kids or significant others a very large pile of money to spend when you are no longer around, you might want to skip the expense and inconvenience of making a will or setting up a trust. But that’s... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
TSP tactics: Are you managing the market? Or is it playing you?: Many investors know the conventional thing to do when times are good. But when things go south, which they do regularly, the fight-or-flight instinct kicks in. Times like now. So we ask D.C. area financial planner Arthur Stein what he’s... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
46 min listen
5,000 new TSP options: Cheer, or choke?: What if the menu at your favorite/only eating place jumped, from 15 items to more than 5,000 new choices? Could you handle it? Would you welcome the option, or find it confusing? Maybe choke on your choices? Prepare to find out... Today’s... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
How (and why) to avoid probate: A slap at your family!: If you don’t have a will and an estate plan, probate is an after-you’ve-gone legal struggle. One which could last months, if not years, in a battle over what you intended your family (or friends) to have: your estate! And while that sounds... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
Safest place for your nest egg: With 7% return!: With a hot war in Europe, galloping worldwide inflation and growing shortages on the home front, many investors are looking for the nearly impossible: A ‘safe’ place to stash some of their retirement nest egg, with Uncle Sam, at an eye-popping... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
Status update: Your future health premiums, Social Security’s ‘evil twins’: Politicians, lobbyists and special interest groups on Capitol Hill often disguise very important or controversial bills they’re pushing by giving them dull or misleading names. Or when a proposal is both complex and potentially explosive... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
Ukraine, COVID, $5-a-gallon gas: Time to time the market?: Given the current world situation, many TSP investors are bound to be having second thoughts. That makes this the perfect time to have financial planner Arthur Stein back on our Your Turn. He’s a well-known D.C. area financial planner (and... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
46 min listen
Wanna be a TSP Trillionaire? Ask one!: There are lots of ways to become a millionaire. Some of them are even legal. You can invent something, like fire, Scrabble or potatoes, although those have been taken. Or you can write a book, then buy TV airtime, then teach seminars telling... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
50 min listen
Don’t turn your home into Bleak House!: If you belong to a book club, whether Oprah’s or one in the neighborhood, chances are “Bleak House,” by Charles Dickens, will never be on your reading list. Ever. As in never! For one thing, “Bleak House” is really old. Written in the... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
54 min listen
The ‘Phantom’ COLA and other retirement mysteries: The good news about the federal retirement programs — FERS or CSRS — is that they have many moving parts. The downside is you need to do some homework — preferably starting from day one on the payroll — to get the most out of your service.... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
Time for a reality check: Today’s Your Turn show is about the kind of thing he could be very good at: Taking care of his family. Hopefully it will help you in important ways, like taxes and investments. Subject that are not fun, but are very important when someone... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
46 min listen
Looking for a safe 7.1% investment?: So today we’ve got a double-header for you on Your Turn. My lead off guest is financial planner Arthur Stein, who specializes in managing finances of active and retired feds. Today he’s going to talk about the pros and cons of playing it... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
Open Season: Shop online and on company time for your health plan: If you work for Uncle Sam there’s a 50/50 chance you do. That is, your agency has pre-paid so you can shop from home, office or home/office using the popular Checkbook’s Guide to Federal Health Plans. Many people use it to find several... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
Hidden gems (and time bombs) in your health plan: Federal workers, retirees and their surviving spouses are fortunate in many ways. They have a large number of health plans to choose from. The government will pay much if not most of the premium. No one can be turned down for any reason.... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
Want a Roth IRA on steriods? Check your health plan.: Tired of shelling out thousands of dollars each year for your federal health plan? Confused, irritated or both by the multiple-choices available under the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program? Why not consider picking a health... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen
Would you buy a Medicare Advantage plan from Joe Namath? Or anybody else?: Before you answer, your first question might be “what’s a Joe Namath?” or “what’s this Medicare Advantage thing?” If you are of a certain age, and like (or hate) professional football, you will know that Joe was a very famous, successful... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
56 min listen
Last chance to blow $2,000: Federal workers and retirees have little time to miss another deadline and lose, as in overpay up to $2,000, on next year’s health premiums. All they have to do to ensure loser status for insurance premiums is nothing. Ignore open season... by Your Turn with Mike Causey
55 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

How Does Medicare Work? - Part A and Part B with Danielle K. Roberts: I cannot believe that this is our first time doing a monthlong series on Medicare! Thankfully, this is a five-week month, so we can really dive deep into this complex topic. Let me lay out the month for you. This week we’re talking about Medicare... by Retirement Answer Man
47 min listen
Episode 127: Is There Really an Advantage to Medicare Part C?: When advantage plans aren't that advantageous by 2 Docs Talk: The podcast about healthcare, the science of medicine and everything in between.
11 min listen
Listener Questions: I have Roth Conversion Questions!: Roth conversions, HSAs, pension choices, risk management: these are the topics of today’s listener questions. Susan, Gina, IM, and Daniel all submitted their questions to me via and you can too! If you have any retirement questions,... by Retirement Answer Man
34 min listen
Federal Retirement: Fact or Opinion? by For Your Benefit
52 min listen
Answering Your Questions About IDR Waivers, Disability Insurance & Reducing Student Loan Repayments: Join me in this episode where I answer many of your most popular questions about Income-Driven Repayment waivers, grace periods, reducing your loan repayment amounts, disability and term life insurance, our NEW Student Loan Planner Insurance, and so... by Student Loan Planner
42 min listen
195- Healthcare Options for Financial Independence, Early Retirement Seekers and Entrepreneurs w/ Lynn Frair: 195- Healthcare Options for Financial Independence, Early Retirement Seekers and Entrepreneurs w/ Lynn Frair by Journey To Launch
52 min listen
#214 - Healthcare Before Medicare: Part-time Work With Benefits: This is the fourth and final episode of the Healthcare Before Medicare series. On this episode, we discuss two more options to consider when thinking about healthcare before Medicare: taking on a part-time job for the insurance benefits and COBRA. We... by Retirement Answer Man
43 min listen
How Does Medicare Work? Part D and What Medicare Doesn’t Cover: Medicare Part D has similarities and differences to Parts A and B. On this episode of our How Does Medicare Work? series, we’ll explore Part D. We’ll also discuss what Medicare doesn’t cover. How much do you know about Medicare and how it works?... by Retirement Answer Man
41 min listen
#211 - Healthcare Before Medicare: My Wife Quit Her Job!: This is it, the long-awaited beginning of the Healthcare Before Medicare series!! I’ve been meaning to cover this topic on the show for awhile and the timing couldn’t be better because I’m now deep in the search for my own insurance. So as I... by Retirement Answer Man
24 min listen
#060: Should You Buy Long-Term Care Insurance?: Should I buy long-term care insurance? Should I keep the long-term care insurance I already have? These are important questions, and there are no easy answers. Long-term care is expensive, but long-term care insurance is also expensive. When you start... by Big Picture Retirement
40 min listen
#213 - Healthcare Before Medicare: Getting Creative: Over the past few weeks on the Healthcare Before Medicare series, we have been exploring the different ways to solve the question of how to pay for medical insurance before you reach Medicare age. On this week’s episode, we are getting creative. We... by Retirement Answer Man
56 min listen
MN072 What Vaccinations Are Covered Under Medicare?: Flu, Pneumococcal and Hepatitis Shots Are Preventative Services by Medicare Nation
34 min listen
Unwrapping Medicare: The Basics: Plus 3 Common Medicare Mistakes by Retirement Answer Man
47 min listen
Understanding Health Insurance In The USA With Cigna Healthcare: to get a quote from Cigna Healthcare for health insurance in the USA. When you're moving abroad, one of the things at the top of your to-do list should be sorting out health insurance, especially if you're moving to a country like the USA with no... by Expat Focus
32 min listen
A listener asks: Could NOT having insurance be a better deal?: Open enrollment for health insurance is here. A listener asks: “Should my son even sign up for insurance? I may have found a better deal.” by An Arm and a Leg
27 min listen
Let your health plan fund an IRA, pay your premiums: Let your health plan fund an IRA, pay your premiums by Your Turn with Mike Causey
44 min listen
Healthcare is my Second Highest Cost in Early Retirement: Health insurance may not be top of mind in early retirement when you're young and healthy, but it should be. In the US, healthcare costs are a significant line item in our budget. To help us decode what you need to know, we've invited a retirement benefi... by Two Sides of FI
59 min listen
Medicare Dis-Enrollment and Cigna Suspension Alerts - What you need to know NOW!: Diane Daniels walks you through 2 very critical things going on with Medicare right now by Medicare Nation
19 min listen
153: Nontraditional International Applicant Worried About Chances: Session 153 As an international applicant, today's student is worried about his chances of getting into medical school and even if he should apply or look at something else. If you haven’t yet, check out the newest addition to MedEd Media Network -... by OldPreMeds Podcast
12 min listen
Brian Powers on How Humana Understands Medicare Advantage Enrollees' Social Needs: Listen to Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil interview Humana's Brian Powers on understanding the unmet social needs of Medicare Advantage enrollees. by A Health Podyssey
25 min listen
Medicare Annual Enrollment Assistance - Part 1: Diane Daniels helps clarify the confusion surrounding annual enrollment by Medicare Nation
23 min listen
Episode 46: Traditional Medicare vs Advantage: Luxury Ride or Bus Pass? You Decide: Explore the world of Medicare and Medicare Advantage with Bryan Gay. by Federal Employee Financial Planning Podcast
41 min listen
#242 Private Healthcare in the U.S. and Others: Healthcare insurance in the U.S. has a long history. However, the earliest forms of healthcare insurance in the U.S. were largely private plans that covered hospital and medical care for individuals or employers. Today, most... by Speak English Now Podcast: Learn English | Speak English without grammar.
15 min listen
Ultimate Health Suspension and Where the Politicians Stand on Medicare: Diane Daniels by Medicare Nation
29 min listen
Personal Insurances Overview by For Your Benefit
52 min listen
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is NOW!: The MA OEP is from January 1st through March 31, 2019 by Medicare Nation
18 min listen
Medicare Hacks Made Easy - Scott Malibor #5322: Summary: As you approach the age of 65, it’s absolutely critical to know about medicare and what plan is best for you in advance. I sit down and chat with Scott Maibor who is an expert on this topic, and he talks through Medicare, advantage plans, and... by Financial Survival Network
28 min listen
How to Make Sure Student Loans Dont Interfere With Your Retirement: There’s a complex intersection of education, retirement, and the growing issue of student loan debt, particularly among older individuals. Join me as I explore the “gray student loan crisis,” strategies to lower income for retirement, and how to... by Student Loan Planner
46 min listen
MN060 Choose The Medicare Plan That Fits Your Unique Needs: You Can Still Change Medicare Plans In The Next 10 Days by Medicare Nation
44 min listen
95. A Disability Insurance Deep Dive: Our guest today is Dr. Stephanie Pearson, founder and CEO of , an insurance advisory firm that specializes in disability and life insurance for healthcare professionals. In this episode we break down disability insurance start to finish: what to look... by Stimulus | Helping Doctors overcome burnout, excel in leadership, and unlock their most fulfilling careers
58 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Medicare Part B: Do you need it?

Medicare Part B: Do you need it?

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Your Turn with Mike Causey

Related podcast episodes