FEHB and PSHB Open Season 2026: Dates and 2027 Premium Changes
FEHB Open Season 2026 runs Monday, November 9, 2026 through Monday, December 14, 2026, according to OPM. It covers FEHB, PSHB, FEDVIP and FSAFEDS for plan year 2027. OPM reports that the average FEHB enrollee share rises 10.9% for 2027 and the average PSHB enrollee share rises 8.2%. A change you make starts Sunday, January 10, 2027 for most non-Postal employees and January 1, 2027 for PSHB enrollees and annuitants.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Figures checked against OPM October 25, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Open Season 2026 dates and deadlines
- Starts: Monday, November 9, 2026. Ends: Monday, December 14, 2026.
- FEHB and PSHB deadline: 11:59 pm on December 14, 2026, by the location of your electronic enrollment system (OPM).
- FEDVIP and FSAFEDS deadline: 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 14, 2026 (OPM).
- Early November: OPM says full FEHB, PSHB and FEDVIP brochures and the plan comparison tool benefits information are posted.
The rule behind the dates: 5 CFR 890.301(f) sets FEHB open season from the Monday of the second full workweek in November through the Monday of the second full workweek in December, and lets the OPM Director change those dates. In 2026 that is November 9 and December 14, the same dates OPM announced. The PSHB program uses the second Monday in November through the second Monday in December.
What changes for 2027: official premium changes
| Average change | FEHB 2027 | FEHB 2026 | PSHB 2027 | PSHB 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall premium | 9.3% | 10.2% | 6.7% | 9.0% |
| Enrollee share | 10.9% | 12.3% | 8.2% | 11.3% |
| Government contribution | 8.6% | 9.2% | 6.0% | 8.0% |
Source: OPM Open Season Highlights for plan year 2027. FEDVIP averages rise 1.0% for dental and 1.6% for vision. OPM names rising prices and use of inpatient, physician, outpatient and surgical services, growth in behavioral health care, and higher drug spending (GLP-1s and specialty drugs) as the main drivers.
For most enrollees the Government pays the lesser of 72% of the program-wide weighted average premium or 75% of the plan's total premium. Maximum Government contribution for 2027 (72% of the weighted average, OPM):
| Enrollment type | FEHB biweekly | FEHB monthly | PSHB biweekly | PSHB monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self Only | $352.04 | $762.75 | $318.23 | $689.50 |
| Self Plus One | $767.53 | $1,662.98 | $689.34 | $1,493.57 |
| Self and Family | $843.82 | $1,828.28 | $748.55 | $1,621.86 |
The FEHB weighted averages are $488.95, $1,066.02 and $1,171.97 biweekly ($1,059.39, $2,309.71 and $2,539.27 monthly); the PSHB averages are $441.98, $957.42 and $1,039.65 biweekly. OPM says the 2027 PSHB employer contribution rate is the same across all Postal unions and management associations, except for USPS non-career employees or where a collective bargaining agreement says otherwise. If you are a Postal employee with questions, contact the USPS Human Resources Shared Service Center (877-477-3273, option 5).In some cases the Self Plus One enrollee share is higher than Self and Family; the table below marks those plans.
Other changes OPM lists for 2027
- Family member verification. Under the FEHB Protection Act of 2025, anyone adding a new family member to an FEHB or PSHB plan during Open Season must submit supporting documents so the member's eligibility can be verified.
- FSAFEDS card. A FSAFEDS Visa FSA Card (debit card) is new for Health Care FSA and Limited Expense Health Care FSA accounts, with paperless reimbursement still available.
- PSHB portal. The Postal Service Health Benefits System enrollee portal is redesigned, scheduled to launch during Open Season, with separate workflows for Open Season elections and qualifying life events.
- Plan offerings. 118 FEHB options from 45 carriers and 65 PSHB options from 17 carriers.
Plans that end after 2026
FEHB: Independent Health Standard; Independent Health HDHP; Blue Care Network of Michigan - Southeast High; UHC (Choice Primary West) High; UHC (Choice Plus Primary West) High; Health Net of California (Northern) High; Health Net of California (Southern) Standard; Health Net of California (Southern) Basic; Health Net of California (Southern) High. Enrollees who do not choose a new plan are placed in Compass Rose Standard. PSHB: UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Inc. (Choice Plus Primary Postal East). Those enrollees default to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan FEP Blue Focus.
2027 premium change for your plan
Nationwide fee-for-service plans only, from OPM's 2027 workbooks. Regional HMO plans are not included; use OPM's plan comparison tool for those.
Your enrollee share
- 2026 biweekly share (OPM)
- $188.32
- 2027 biweekly share (OPM)
- $204.65
- Change per pay period (OPM)
- +$16.33
- Percent change
- +8.7%
- 2026 annual (26 payments)
- $4,896.32
- 2027 annual (26 payments)
- $5,320.90
Annual change: +$424.58
OPM publishes the 2027 share, the change from 2026, and the 2026 share in its official workbooks. Annual figures assume 26 pay periods for employees or 12 monthly payments for annuitants. Your actual withholding follows your agency or retirement system, and some enrollees pay through premium conversion (pre-tax). Total premium biweekly: $556.69, Government pays $352.04.
Source: OPM 2027 FEHB workbook, enrollment code 104 · 2026 workbook
2027 biweekly employee share, nationwide plans
Each cell is the 2027 biweekly enrollee share, with OPM's published change from 2026 in parentheses. Annuitants pay the monthly amounts in the calculator and in OPM's workbooks. These are the nationwide fee-for-service plans only. Regional HMO plans are not listed here; check the OPM plan comparison tool for every plan in your area.
* Self Plus One costs the enrollee more than Self and Family for this plan in 2027. You may elect Self and Family to cover one eligible family member. OPM's full lists: FEHB and PSHB (they also cover regional plans).
FEHB
| Plan option | Self Only | Self Plus One | Self and Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| APWU Health Plan: Consumer Driven Option | $102.63 (+$2.01) | $223.06 (+$4.38) | $243.34 (+$4.78) |
| APWU Health Plan: High Option | $191.92 (+$51.76) | $374.71 (+$109.60) | $461.61 (+$123.89) |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield: Basic Option | $145.46 (+$11.69) | $350.48 (+$31.23) | $387.54 (+$30.68) |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield: FEP Blue Focus | $74.16 (+$7.35) | $159.43 (+$15.80) | $175.35 (+$17.38) |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield: Standard Option | $204.65 (+$16.33) | $449.89 (+$39.01) | $496.90 (+$39.24) |
| Compass Rose Health Plan: High Option | $149.97 (+$9.91) | $336.89 (+$25.45) | $361.03 (+$23.46) |
| Compass Rose Health Plan: Standard Option | $69.04 (+$7.40) | $151.89 (+$16.28) | $165.69 (+$17.75) |
| Foreign Service Benefit Plan: High Option | $143.75 (+$43.39) | $429.35 (+$171.39)* | $382.65 (+$134.38) |
| GEHA: HDHP | $81.62 ($0.00) | $175.47 ($0.00) | $215.63 ($0.00) |
| GEHA: High Option | $168.01 (-$27.28) | $376.59 (-$56.36) | $459.39 (-$65.79) |
| GEHA: Standard Option | $86.75 ($0.00) | $186.51 ($0.00) | $231.45 ($0.00) |
| GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan: Elevate Option | $77.92 ($0.00) | $187.99 ($0.00) | $228.85 ($0.00) |
| GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan: Elevate Plus Option | $262.63 (+$57.50) | $578.95 (+$129.37) | $634.19 (+$138.07) |
| MHBP: Standard Option | $153.11 (+$59.22) | $442.77 (+$226.65)* | $400.78 (+$182.58) |
| Panama Canal Area Benefit Plan: FFS Plan with a POS Option | $256.25 (-$49.33) | $457.87 (-$100.81)* | $437.78 (-$112.27) |
| SAMBA: High | $308.98 (+$82.89) | $686.75 (+$186.02) | $742.68 (+$198.63) |
| SAMBA: Standard | $135.87 (+$13.01) | $264.64 (+$27.91) | $280.66 (+$23.18) |
PSHB
| Plan option | Self Only | Self Plus One | Self and Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| APWU Health Plan: Consumer Driven Option | $100.21 (+$9.11) | $217.81 (+$19.81) | $237.61 (+$21.60) |
| APWU Health Plan: High Option | $142.97 (+$35.82) | $279.13 (+$62.95) | $358.28 (+$82.34) |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan: Basic Option | $139.94 (+$12.35) | $340.28 (+$26.44) | $385.46 (+$27.94) |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan: FEP Blue Focus | $84.17 (+$9.02) | $180.95 (+$19.39) | $199.03 (+$21.33) |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan: Standard Option | $196.30 (+$6.20) | $435.86 (+$11.44) | $490.62 (+$11.41) |
| GEHA Employee Organization: HDHP | $84.88 ($0.00) | $182.50 ($0.00) | $224.27 ($0.00) |
| GEHA Employee Organization: Standard Option | $84.77 ($0.00) | $182.26 ($0.00) | $225.18 ($0.00) |
| MHBP: MHBP Standard Option | $137.78 (+$45.69) | $395.93 (+$183.96)* | $372.83 (+$158.83) |
| MHBP: MHBP Value Plan | $83.22 (+$12.82) | $200.18 (+$33.37) | $206.73 (+$36.58) |
| NALC Health Benefit Plan: NALC Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP) | $80.53 (+$13.42) | $183.15 (+$30.52) | $198.26 (+$33.05) |
| NALC Health Benefit Plan: NALC High Option | $116.06 (-$5.08) | $290.00 (-$3.31)* | $270.37 (+$2.95) |
| Rural Carrier Benefit Plan: High Option | $179.37 (+$21.13) | $346.96 (+$40.46)* | $339.96 (+$39.70) |
OPM says the 2027 PSHB employer contribution rate is the same across all Postal unions and management associations, except for USPS non-career employees or where a collective bargaining agreement says otherwise. If you are a Postal employee with questions, contact the USPS Human Resources Shared Service Center (877-477-3273, option 5).
Source: OPM 2027 premium workbooks for FEHB and PSHB. Each row in this page's data keeps its workbook URL.
Who can change what
| Group | During Open Season | How |
|---|---|---|
| FEHB employees | Enroll, change plan or option, change enrollment type, cancel, and change premium conversion. FEDVIP and FSAFEDS too. | Form SF 2809 or an agency system such as Employee Express, MyPay, Employee Personal Page or EBIS. Ask your agency HR office which applies. |
| FEHB annuitants and survivor annuitants | Change or cancel FEHB, and enroll or change FEDVIP. Annuitants are not eligible for FSAFEDS. | See OPM's FEHB enrollment instructions for retirees and survivor annuitants. |
| USPS employees and annuitants (PSHB) | Change PSHB plan or enrollment, or cancel. PSHB qualifying life event changes go through the HR Shared Service Center or the Retirement Information Office. | Postal Service Health Benefits System (login.gov required). Qualifying life events: USPS employees 877-477-3273, annuitants 888-767-6738 (OPM). |
| FSAFEDS (active employees only) | Re-enroll every year. Participation does not carry over, so skipping Open Season ends your FSA for 2027. | Enroll at FSAFEDS by 11:59 pm Eastern on December 14, 2026. The Highlights do not state 2027 contribution limits; check FSAFEDS. |
If you do nothing, OPM says health, dental and vision coverage continues, unless your plan is ending or reducing its service area. Outside Open Season you can change only after a qualifying life event (for example a marriage, birth, or gain or loss of other coverage; see OPM's life events list), or in the limited cases OPM lists such as a new employee's first 60 days or a move out of your plan's area.
PSHB and Medicare. OPM says a PSHB annuitant who retires after January 1, 2025 must be enrolled in Medicare Part B to get PSHB coverage in retirement unless an exception applies, and a Medicare-eligible family member without an exception who does not enroll loses PSHB coverage. See OPM's PSHB annuitant page and the Medicare Part B premium for 2027.
When Open Season changes take effect
| Action | FEHB, non-Postal employees | FEHB OWCP compensationers | PSHB enrollees | Annuitants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enroll, change enrollment, or change premium conversion | Sunday, January 10, 2027 | Sunday, January 24, 2027 | Friday, January 1, 2027 | Friday, January 1, 2027 |
| Cancel coverage | Saturday, January 9, 2027 | Saturday, January 23, 2027 | Thursday, December 31, 2026 | Thursday, December 31, 2026 |
OPM's Highlights table above is the primary source for the dates. The January 10, 2027 date follows 5 CFR 890.301(f)(4)(ii): an Open Season change of enrollment takes effect on the first day of the first pay period that begins in January of the next year. On the 2026 federal pay period calendar the last 2026 pay period ends Saturday, January 9, 2027, so the first pay period beginning in January 2027 starts Sunday, January 10 (see the 2027 calendar). Your first paycheck with the new premium follows that pay period. FEDVIP and FSAFEDS elections made in Open Season take effect January 1, 2027.
Frequently asked questions
When is FEHB Open Season 2026?
OPM says Open Season runs Monday, November 9, 2026 through Monday, December 14, 2026. The FEHB and PSHB deadline is 11:59 pm on December 14, 2026 by the location of your electronic enrollment system. The FEDVIP and FSAFEDS deadline is 11:59 pm Eastern Time that day.
How much do FEHB premiums change in 2027?
OPM reports that the FEHB overall average premium rises 9.3% for 2027, the average enrollee share rises 10.9% and the Government contribution rises 8.6%. For PSHB the figures are 6.7% overall, 8.2% enrollee share and 6.0% Government contribution. Your own change depends on your plan and enrollment type.
When do my Open Season changes take effect?
For non-Postal FEHB employees, an enrollment or change takes effect Sunday, January 10, 2027, the first day of the first pay period that begins in January 2027 (OPM table; 5 CFR 890.301(f)(4)(ii)). OWCP compensationers start Sunday, January 24, 2027. PSHB enrollees and annuitants start January 1, 2027, and FEDVIP and FSAFEDS also start January 1, 2027.
What happens if I do nothing during Open Season?
OPM says health, dental and vision enrollment continues from year to year unless you make a change, so you stay in your present plan unless it is leaving the program. Your benefits and premiums may still change. FSAFEDS is the exception: it does not carry over, and you must re-enroll to participate in 2027.
Who can change FEHB or PSHB plans during Open Season?
Anyone eligible for FEHB can enroll, change plans or options, change enrollment type, or cancel during Open Season (OPM FEHB enrollment page). That includes employees and annuitants. Postal Service employees and annuitants use PSHB. Annuitants are not eligible for FSAFEDS. Starting this Open Season, anyone adding a new family member must submit documents that verify the member is eligible.
Can I change my plan outside Open Season?
Only after a qualifying life event, such as a change in family status or other coverage, or in the other limited situations OPM lists (for example a new employee enrolling within 60 days of becoming eligible, or a move outside your plan area). OPM says you cannot enroll, change or cancel FEHB, FEDVIP or FSAFEDS outside Open Season without a qualifying life event.
How do I make a change?
FEHB employees use the Health Benefits Election Form (SF 2809) or an agency system such as Employee Express, MyPay, Employee Personal Page or EBIS; ask your agency HR office which one applies. PSHB enrollees use the Postal Service Health Benefits System (PSHBS), which requires login.gov. For PSHB qualifying life events, USPS employees call the HR Shared Service Center at 877-477-3273 and annuitants call the Retirement Information Office at 888-767-6738.
Do PSHB annuitants need Medicare Part B?
OPM says a PSHB annuitant who retires after January 1, 2025 must be enrolled in Medicare Part B to have PSHB coverage in retirement unless an exception applies. A Medicare-eligible family member who is not enrolled and has no exception is not eligible for PSHB coverage. See OPM for the full eligibility rules and exceptions.
Which plans are ending after 2026?
OPM lists 9 FEHB plan options and one PSHB plan option that are not available in 2027. Enrollees in a terminating plan who do nothing are placed in Compass Rose Standard (FEHB) or the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan FEP Blue Focus (PSHB).
Related federal employee tools
Sources: OPM: Open Season · OPM: 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights for Plan Year 2027 (PDF) · OPM: FEHB premiums (2027 rate tables) · OPM: PSHB premiums · OPM: Compare plans · OPM: FEHB enrollment · OPM: FEHB eligibility and enrollment · OPM: PSHB enrollment · OPM: Medicare for PSHB annuitants · 5 CFR 890.301 (eCFR)
FEHB and PSHB Open Season 2026. Your plan brochure and OPM notices are authoritative.