THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602270316
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MELISSA GUNDEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
If Survivor Benefit Plan premiums are figured in the pay raise starting in December but you don't get the pay raise until March, suppose the retiree dies in February. Does his wife get the higher amount or does she get the previous lower amount.
The cost of the SBP increases in December and the SBP base amount also increases. Therefore, the surviving spouse would receive the annuity based on the higher amount even though the retiree doesn't receive the raise until March 1, 1996. Q. I'm a retired master chief and retired in 1980. I selected minimum SBP for my spouse at the time of my retirement. What would the spousal SBP payment be if I died at age 60? And, what would my spouse receive at age 62/65 if both were eligible to draw maximum Social Security?
If the widow is under age 62, the amount of the annuity will be 55 percent of the SBP annuity base amount. If the widow is over age 62, the annuity will be 55 percent of the SBP annuity base amount less the Social Security offset or 35 percent of the SBP annuity base amount, whichever is greater.
Since there are so many variables involved in computing the Social Security offset, you should send in your request or requests to have be calculated at the Retired Pay in Cleveland, Ohio. If you are a regular-service retiree, send it to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Cleveland Center, Code ROCAB, P.O. Box 99191, Cleveland, Ohio, 44199-1126. If you're on reserve retirement, the request can be sent to the same address except the code is ROCXA. They will respond to your inquiry. Q. When can you sign up for Tricare Prime? Can retirees pay monthly premiums or does it have to be paid in one sum?
If the retiree is over age 65, he or she is not eligible for Tricare Prime at this time. If the retired service member is under 65, then the member can enroll. The annual enrollment fee is $460, which can either be paid up front or in quarterly installments. Enrollment for those under age 65 began Jan. 1. To enroll , call 677-6000.
Can you tell me what happened to the USS Albany and the USS Macon. Both were heavy cruisers.
According to Ship's History at the Washington Navy Yard, the Albany, which was a heavy cruiser (CA-123) and later reclassified as a cruiser (CG-10), was scrapped on Oct. 31, 1990.
The Macon (CA-132) was scrapped in August, 1973. MEMO: Hot Line runs every other week. To submit your questions, see the
INFOLINE box at left.
by CNB