Blue is the security you need. We understand that making sense of healthcare benefits can sometimes be confusing. To help you understand how the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan and Medicare work together, we've put together a brief overview that explains what Medicare is, how the Service Benefit Plan can fill in the gaps and what factors to consider when making decisions about your healthcare coverage. The Medicare and You Guide for Federal Employess [PDF 1.84 MB] can help you understand:

What is Medicare?

Read up on the four parts of Medicare, who is eligible to participate and other basic information about the federal health insurance program.

Medicare & the Service Benefit Plan

Learn how Medicare and the Service Benefit Plan work together to fill in the gaps and, in most situations, provide you with complete, comprehensive healthcare coverage for covered services.

Factors to Consider

Medicare covers each person separately, so remember that you may need coverage for your family members. Learn how different changes can affect your healthcare needs.

Keep us informed

Please let us know if you or a covered family member has original Medicare, Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage coverage. To ensure we record the Medicare coverage correctly in your enrollment file, we ask that you send us a copy of your Medicare identification card.

You must also allow us to obtain information about services denied or paid under Medicare, should we ask about this information. Generally, this information will be used to determine how to provide benefits under your Service Benefit Plan coverage.

Need more guidance?

If you have any questions about Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan coverage, call your local Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan. If you have any questions about Medicare, call 1.800.633.4227. The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) also has information on its Web site, www.opm.gov, about FEHB benefits and Medicare.

For a full explanation of the benefits explained here, we recommend you to download and review the 2010 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan brochure (RI 71-005) (link to the 2010 brochure).

Please note: The Medicare information in this feature focuses on the original Medicare Plan, Medicare Part A and Part B, unless otherwise noted. The Service Benefit Plan information refers to Standard and Basic Options only.