Policy and Systems

CMS Offers Medicare Enrollment Relief for Americans Affected by Recent Disasters

Read more about CMS Offers Medicare Enrollment Relief for Americans Affected by Recent Disasters

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing immediate relief to people who want to make a Medicare Part A or Part B enrollment request, but may have been impeded by the recent hurricanes and the wildfires in California.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a press release providing guidance and instruction on this initiative (10/30/17):

CMS Offers Medicare Enrollment Relief for Americans Affected by Recent Disasters

Los CMS ofrecen alivio en la inscripción a Medicare para los estadounidenses afectados por los desastres de clima recientes

Published by: Policy and Systems | Email: webmaster@rrb.gov

Medicare Card

Read more about Medicare Card

Medicare Card Spanish

Read more about Medicare Card Spanish

Surcharge in RUIA Contribution Rate

Read more about Surcharge in RUIA Contribution Rate

Surcharge in RUIA Contribution Rate

Read more about Surcharge in RUIA Contribution Rate

When a Spouse Annuity Ends

A spouse annuity ends the month before the month in which:

Read more about When a Spouse Annuity Ends

When a Spouse Annuity is not Payable

A spouse annuity is not payable for any month in which:

the employee's annuity is not payable; or,
you work for a railroad employer; or,
you become entitled to a railroad retirement annuity based on your own earnings record that exceeds the amount of your spouse annuity on a different earnings record and neither earnings record includes railroad service before 1975; or,
you become entitled to a railroad retirement survivor annuity based on a different earnings record that exceeds the spouse annuity rate.

Read more about When a Spouse Annuity is not Payable

Tier II Deductions for Last Pre-Retirement Nonrailroad Earnings

Your Last Pre-Retirement Nonrailroad Employer is defined as any nonrailroad individual, company or institution for whom you are working on the date your spouse annuity begins or for whom you stopped working in order to receive a spouse annuity. ( For more information, see Form G-177L General Information about Continuing in or Returning to Nonrailroad Employment after Retirement under the Railroad Retirement Act.)

Read more about Tier II Deductions for Last Pre-Retirement Nonrailroad Earnings

5-Year Vesting Cases

If the employee's annuity is based on 60-119 months of railroad service with at least 60 months of railroad service after 1995 (5-year vesting case), you qualify for a spouse annuity tier I component only when the employee qualifies for a tier I component. Refer to Form G-177 General Conditions Under Which a Person is Entitled to a Railroad Retirement Employee Annuity for further information about the employee's requirement for an SSA Insured Status for a tier I component.

Read more about 5-Year Vesting Cases

Tier I Deductions for Nonrailroad Earnings

Your tier I component is not reduced for your nonrailroad earnings if you are receiving social security benefits.

Otherwise, the Annual Earnings Exempt Amount is the amount of nonrailroad earnings you can have in a calendar year without losing part of your tier I component. Use Chart 3 to determine your Full Retirement Age. Then refer to Chart 4 below and Form G-77a, How Work Affects Your Railroad Retirement Annuities.

Read more about Tier I Deductions for Nonrailroad Earnings