Health Care

[mitch5252]

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Q5: Is it true that members of Congress do not have to pay into Social Security?

A: No, it is not true. All members of Congress, the President and Vice President, Federal judges, and most political appointees, were covered under the Social Security program starting in January 1984. They pay into the system just like everyone else. Thus all members of Congress, no matter how long they have been in office, have been paying into the Social Security system since January 1984.

(Prior to this time, most Federal government workers and officials were participants in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) which came into being in 1920--15 years before the Social Security system was formed. For this reason, historically, Federal employees were not participants in the Social Security system.)

Employees of the three branches of the federal government, were also covered starting in January 1984, under the 1983 law--but with some special transition rules.

1) Executive and judicial branch employees hired before January 1, 1984 were given a one-time irrevocable choice of whether to switch to Social Security or stay under the old CSRS. (Rehired employees--other than rehired annuitants--are treated like new employees if their break-in-service was more than a year.)

2) Employees of the legislative branch who were not participating in the CSRS system were mandatorily covered, regardless of when their service began. Those who were in the CSRS system were given the same one-time choice as employees in the executive and judicial branches.

3) All federal employees hired on or after January 1, 1984 are mandatorily covered under Social Security--the CSRS system is not an option for them.

So there are still some Federal employees, those first hired prior to January 1984, who are not participants in the Social Security system. All other Federal government employees participate in Social Security like everyone else.

This change was part of the 1983 Amendments to Social Security. You can find a summary of the 1983 amendments elsewhere on this site.

SOURCE: http://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html


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[JanetA]

Govt. employees don't pay into SS,, I kknow that,, but surely they MUST have SOMETHING taken out of their checks for retirement as they sure do get some! teachers, at least here in Tx,, don't pay into it, either,, but they pay into teacher retirement and draw on that when they retire. Lots i know are retiring and then going back and working for a few districts that DO pay SS and then when they want to finally retire completely,, they DOUBLE DIP!. Hey, that's great for them,, but wonder if that's having any impact on funds? And they don't have to work but I think it's 4 quarters to draw SS. Then they take the best earnings and compute their checks that way. Confusing, I know, but I know plenty down here that do that. Also My uncle was a govt employee and then when he retired he got that plus he started a company that went about 4 yrs and he drew SS from that.. before he died.. Also double dipping.. Go figure...

someone explain that to me , if you can?

[mitch5252]

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From the government site for the SSA, most people must earn 40 credits (equal to 10 years) to quality for social security benefits:




If you have met the qualification for two different 'pensions', why wouldn't you draw on them?
I'm not getting your 'double dipping' stuff...

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[Redetotry]

I retired with Social Security AND a state retirement plan from working at a University. I worked enough quarters before going to the University to qualify for SS. I paid into both plans so I don't see it as 'double dipping'. Also there are 14 states and Illinois happens to be one of the 14 where thanks to President Reagan who gave states a choice, if you get a state retirement plan and also qualify for SS, your SS benefits are cut by about 1/2 half. Sure doesn't seem fair to me!!

[Bethers]

When my uncle worked for the government, he had the option to pay in or not - if he didn't, he couldn't collect. That meant he was putting his money into his own funds. People in Colorado are in similar situations in many jobs - they don't have to take it.

Someone I met recently worked for a school district that had it's own retirement plan and did not pay into SS. She's having a fit that she can't collect. I argued and argued with her - you NEVER paid in - and she has a great retirment from the school district - more than SS would be - she wants more.

We are a ME ME ME society - people want everything - whether they deserve it or not. And they want benefits whether they pay in or not - whether they have insurance or not, etc. It's tough to keep up with that.

Alzheimers is just one of many diseases that they say are crippling - a few years ago it was heart care - because it's advanced so much, and so many today have major heart surgery and live so much longer, etc. Our advances cost also.

It's one reason why the system needs to be revamped - somehow, someway - whether with a govt run one or not - but the one we have now run NOT by the govt simply isn't working either.

[avalen]

when I worked for the school district in Colorado, we did not pay into the SS, and therefore I have no credits for those years, but we did pay into a retirement plan,
the one I used to try and save my house back after 9/11. However, here in Arizona,
we pay into both. Each year I get my statement telling me how much I'll get from
SS and how much I'll get from the retirement plan. I will get a check from each, but
if I continue to work past retirement I'm only allowed to make X amount of dollars
and if I exceed that X amount, they take back. Now, most of our retired folks are
working strictly for the extra insurance and since the district made the benefit
amount at 30 hours a week, those working retirees will get penalized for working
too many hours. When the benefit amount was set at 20 hours, they did fine as
long as they didn't work extra field trips and such. I'm learning more and more
as I get closer to retirement.

[retiredhappy]

Ok, I started working at around age 16 and paid into SS until at age 42 I went to work for the City of San Diego which does not contribute to the SS system -= they have their own retirement system. Now when I retired I had WORKED and earned my 40 SS creditsbefore going to work for 15 years for the City of San Diego. When I retired the SS system penalized me a HUGE percentage for NOT paying into the SS system for 15 years so they reduced my SS check by a huge amount even tho I had worked and paid into the system. I resent being told I'm double dipping - I worked and earned every damn credit with SS and I worked for 15 years for the City to earn that retirement. I'm still pissed that they denied me money that I had worked for and earned in the SS system just because I worked in a civil service job.

[BirdbyBird]

Ohio didn't use to allow individuals to collect from both SS and the State Employment Retirement system. Since the amounts are figured only if you have been vested and are figured according to the amount earned, etc. Though it did not effect me, I couldn't help but agree with a couple of the teacher assistants - one of whom had worked for Ford for 25 years and then put in over 15 years contributing to the state system. If you put in the years you ought to be able to draw something out. Another use of "double dipping" that is used regarding fed and state jobs is when the individual retires after 30 or 35 years and begins to draw their pension and then returns to another or often the same position and collects a full time salary in addition to the pension.............

[rvgrammy1953]

The US Military has been paying SS since, I believe, 1964.....(Government employees big time).....also state employees in PA pay SS........in 2 1/2 yrs. Ernie will be collecting his SS....so, 2 retirements and SS...Double Dipping, yes....and he earned every Cent....even with our military benefits, we still are on a limited income...so an emergency hits us hard....(i.e. my recent trip home).....as I stated before with this NEW Health Care thing, our medical benefits are also threated....benefits that we earned.....as I also did my own military time.....so, no, we're not in favor of Gov. run plan....IN favor of reform of what we have already avalible....i.e. the option of shopping for ins. country wide, doing away with the pre-existing condition rejection clauses, and limits to how much and what for people can sue for....

Okay, I'm done....just giving my thoughts on the subject....

[dpf]

I have paid into SS since I was 14. I have been paying into the state retirement since I started teaching in 1974 and when I left teaching and into a state job I remained on the same plan. On the state plan I am allowed to take early retirement by the rule of "85" meaning your age and the years you have been paying into the state retirement system equals 85. Right now my rating is 93...there is no way that I could retire on the amount that I would receive and pay health insurance, therefore I continue to work until I can retire with SS. I would love to retire and be rehired at 20-30 hours a week, but that seems to be an option that is only granted to what we call the "Good Ol' Boys Club" and those individuals are making six figure salaries. They retire, then their job is given a new title usually with a higher salary and they apply and get the new position then proceed to collect a retirement check and their salary. Would I do it...hell yes. They are collecting what they have already earned and are also still contributing to the retirement system. Will I feel guilty when I get both a state retirement check and a SS check? NO! I'm not double dipping....I was REQUIRED to pay into the both of those retirement programs and I deserve the money.

[bluepinecones]

From Almost there:
"*After X amount of years in any government job you automatically have health coverage for life."

Retired Federal Employees have the option to continue their insurance for life but it is not totally free. Surviving spouses may also kept the coverage. Except for the very high echelons (who may have more free stuff and choices), they can choose from the same plans and pay the same premiums as a current federal employees. Rates are well below what one could go out and buy on their own and the coverage on most of the plans is excellent. We have a very large number of retired civil servants here as the Federal government is one of the areas largest employers.

http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program can help you and your family meet your health care needs. Federal employees, retirees and their survivors enjoy the widest selection of health plans in the country. You can choose from among Consumer-Driven and High Deductible plans that offer catastrophic risk protection with higher deductibles, health savings/reimbursable accounts and lower premiums, or Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans, and their Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), or Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) if you live (or sometimes if you work) within the area serviced by the plan.

http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/eligibility/annuitants.asp
FEHB for Retirees and Survivor Annuitants
Federal retirees and their surviving spouses retain their eligibility for FEHB health coverage at the same cost as current employees. In order to carry your FEHB coverage into retirement, you must be entitled to retire on an immediate annuity under a retirement system for civilian employees (including the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) + 10 retirement); and you must have been continuously enrolled (or covered as a family member) in any FEHB plan(s) for the 5 years of service immediately before the date your annuity starts, or for the full period(s) of service since your first opportunity to enroll (if less than 5 years). The 5 year requirement period can include the following: the time you are covered as a family member under another person's FEHB enrollment; or the time you are covered under the Uniformed Services Health Benefits Program (also known as TRICARE) as long as you were covered under an FEHB enrollment at the time of your retirement.

At least some Federal workers can also take advantage of what is known as "Premium Conversation". Premiums are taken out before taxes thus reducing both federal and state income taxes and lowering their medicare premiums if they are above the $85,000 where Part B costs go up and a sliding scale. Too late for me to go look this one up to give you a reference, but I have heard some of the local retirees discussing this conversion benefit.

And yes, they can have both Medicare and one of the Fed plans. Benefits are coordinated so that one does not profit from double payment; main benefit to dual coverage is that it eliminates co-pays and the secondary carrier pays the difference of what was not covered by the primary carrier - in other words, basically no out of pocket expenses beyond the premium for the coverage.

[Acadianmom]

Every time a dollar is given out to a town or an award is given our governor thinks it's his photo opt. On Sundays he goes to church in a different town. When he was in my sister's town she said they had the roads blocked all over town and if you ask what was going on they told you to go home. Guess who's footing the bill for all of this. I would like to know what he thinks he is running for next. This doesn't have anything to do with health care but I wouldn't honor him with his own topic. lol

[AlmostThere]

DISCLAIMER: The below video happens to be on a website against Pres. Obama and his health reform etc. My intention is not to slam the president, but only for you to watch the video of Mrs Wagner and feel her frustration concerning the broken health care system as it is now. Thanks!

http://www.thecloakroomblog.com/2009/08/obam/

[BirdbyBird]

One of the NPR stories today regarding the health care bills spoke to the concern that the current bills do not include any CAPS regarding costs related to health care services. The point that was being presented is that the cost of medical care was going to continue to go up and up....and even changes in whether insurance may or not be available was not going to be the issue.......

[OutandAbout]

I would like to know why Harry Reid won't let anyone see his bill. It is ready, yet no one is allowed to see it, not even the other members of the Senate. All was done behind closed doors. I wish this nonsense would just stop. We have a right to see the bill, if there is one, and should be allowed time to read it and voice our opinions. Why is everything of such importance being done behind closed doors? Why are we, the people, not allowed to state our opinions on something that will affect us for years to come? The only conclusions I can have are that things are not "kosher" with the bills and they don't want the people to find out until the bill is passed. This is no way to run our government. Both sides are to blame for the way congress is doing "business". Something really does need to change. My 1/2 cent. Linda