Any recommendations if Mom should stay with private insurance (KAISER), OR ADD Medicare and have both?

thank you everyone for you replies. I have an apt. with Kaiser Social worker. She will access situation and needs, and provide resources.

I'm a retired public employee, and have been a Kaiser member for almost 50 years. Kaiser offers LOTS of different plans to employers, and at least two for Federal retirees.

If your Mom's Federal retirement plan paid into Social Security -- which is true for most employees after 1990 or so -- she may be eligible for Kaiser Medicare Advantage (Medicare supplement).

Best place to look for answers is Member Services at her local Kaiser medical offices or hospital. They're the folks who can provide details about her specific plan.

If she's now turning 65 I would get her signed up for Medicare and keep the FEHB medical coverage of Kaiser. That's what I did, although I have Blue Cross not Kaiser. I only end up paying a copay for RX. If she's long past 65 why didn't she sign up before? The late penalties for signing up late will probably apply. If she's going to need nursing home care you may be looking at state Medicaid to pay for that, if she is financially eligible when the medical need arises.

I really think this is a question for whoever handles benefits for Federal employees. Some did not pay into SS so not sure if they can receive Medicare. I would think at the time she turned 65, she would have been notified that she needed to choose Medicare and then Kaiser would be her suppliment. If this didn't happen then Kaiser maybe her Medicare.

Try your Office of Aging and see if they have someone who can help with this. Come back and tell us what you find because this question has been asked before. Actually there was a government employee that replied.

My sister worked for NSA. She has been gone 22 yrs. Before her death she was given the option of continuing to contribute to her pension or contributing to SS when the switch was made. She chose the pension.

Does Kaiser offer a Medicare supplemental? This would probably be cheaper to have Medicare with a Kaiser supplemental, you would also need to check about prescription drug coverage. It is usually a 3rd insurance policy, pretty minimal cost.

The benefits should be compared with where she is at physically.

Can anyone tell us if there is a penalty for not signing up with Medicare when you become eligible?

I believe Medicare would have to become her primary. It can be nice to have a secondary if not costly. The cost for Medicare would look back to past 2 years earnings. So I think you put these numbers in 2 columns and see what is more advantageous.