Blue Cross Blue Shield employees: IRA Rollovers

Healthcare Provider Update: Healthcare Provider Information for Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) operates as a federation of independent health insurance companies across the United States. Each individual organization under the BCBS umbrella serves specific geographical regions, offering a range of health insurance products and services, including individual and group health plans, dental and vision coverage, and more. Notable regional affiliates include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, among others, facilitating comprehensive healthcare management and coverage options for millions of members nationwide. Healthcare Cost Increases in 2026 In 2026, significant increases in health insurance premiums are anticipated, particularly for plans available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. Record hikes, as high as 66% in some states, are expected as a result of rising medical costs, the potential expiration of enhanced federal premium subsidies, and aggressive rate adjustments by major insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield. The Kaiser Family Foundation warns that a staggering 92% of marketplace enrollees could see their out-of-pocket premiums surge by over 75% due to this confluence of factors, which will likely price many middle-income Americans out of affordable health coverage. Click here to learn more

IRA ROLLOVERS FOR LUMP SUM PENSION PAYOUTS

Give those dollars the opportunity for further tax-deferred growth.

A big payout leads to a big question.  If you are taking a lump sum pension payout from Blue Cross Blue Shield (If offered by your company), what is the next step for that money? It will be integral to your retirement; how can you make it work harder for you?

Rolling it over might be the right thing to do.  If you don’t have substantial retirement savings, your Blue Cross Blue Shield lump sum option (If offered by your company) may be just what you need. The key is to plan to keep it growing.That money shouldn’t just sit there.

Even tame inflation whittles away at the value of money over time. Most corporate pension payments aren’t inflation-indexed, so those monthly payments eventually purchase less and less. Lump sums are just as susceptible: if you receive $100,000 today, that $100,000 will buy 50% less by 2028 assuming consistent 3% inflation (and that is quite an optimistic assumption). 

Putting it in the bank might cause you some financial pain.  If you take your Blue Cross Blue Shield lump sum payout (If offered by your company) and deposit it, all that money will be considered taxable income by the IRS. (There are very few exceptions to that rule.) Moreover, you won’t get the whole amount that way: per IRS regulations, your employer must withhold 20% of it.

Don’t you want to postpone paying taxes on those assets?  If you transfer the lump-sum distribution into a traditional IRA, you can postpone paying taxes on those funds. It's possible to delay paying taxes on a distribution that has already been paid to you by rolling over the taxable portion to an IRA within 60 days of receiving the payment.

In doing so, you are keeping those assets in a tax-deferred account. They can be invested as you like, and that money will not be taxed until it is withdrawn. (You may only transfer a lump sum distribution from a company pension plan into a traditional IRA – you may not transfer it to a Roth IRA.)

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If you are considering taking a lump sum payout, make sure you position that money for additional tax-deferred growth. Talk to a financial professional who can help you with the paperwork and get your IRA rollover going.

Citations.

1 - money.cnn.com/2012/09/01/pf/expert/pension-payments.moneymag/index.html [9/1/12]

2 - www.kiplinger.com/article/retirement/T037-C000-S002-pensions-take-a-lump-sum-or-not.html [9/11]

3 - www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc412.html [1/4/13]

4 - www.fool.com/retirement/manageretirement/manageretirement2.htm [1/21/13]