Larry,

I will be 65 February 14,2018. My husband is on railroad retirement as he worked 36 years for RR. I'm still working and I've signed up for medicare through social security. Should I have done that with railroad? Also, can I draw from RR retirement at 66 or should I draw from SSI? If my social security is greater, and my husband pass, do I receive his railroad retirement if it is greater than my social security? Lots of questions.

Hi,

Signing up for Medicare with Social Security was fine. If you file for Railroad spousal benefits at some point, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) will then determine whether they should take over jurisdiction of your Medicare coverage. That wouldn't interrupt your coverage, but it could cause your Medicare claim number to change.

I can't tell you which type of monthly benefits you should apply for. What I can tell you is that if you file for both Social Security (SS) and Railroad (RR) benefits, what you would be paid is the higher of a) your SS benefit rate or b) your Tier 1 RR rate, plus any Tier 2 RR benefits to which you are entitled. The same principle would apply if you become entitled to RR widow's benefits in the future.

Our maximization software can help you determine your best filing options with regard to Social Security, but not Railroad Retirement benefits. You'll probably want to check with both Social Security and the RRB to determine your potential benefit rates, which should help you determine you best overall strategy.

Best, Jerry