The 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season runs from November 9 through December 14, 2026, and changes you make take effect in January 2027; it is your yearly window to enroll in, change, or cancel FEHB, PSHB and FEDVIP coverage and to re-enroll in FSAFEDS (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
Every fall, federal employees and retirees get a five-week window to rethink their health coverage, and many let it pass. Doing nothing is allowed. Your plan rolls into the next year automatically. But premiums, networks, and drug lists change every January, and the plan that fit you three years ago may now cost more for less.
This guide gives you the 2026 dates, the 2027 changes OPM has published, and a repeatable way to compare plans that takes an evening, not a weekend.
Treat open season like an annual check-up for your coverage. Most years nothing is wrong. The point of going is the year something is.
01When is the 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season?
The 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season runs from November 9 through December 14, 2026, and covers the 2027 plan year (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11). During that window you can enroll in, change, or cancel coverage under FEHB, PSHB, and FEDVIP, and active employees can elect FSAFEDS accounts.
The effective date of your change depends on who you are:
| Action | Non-postal employees | OWCP compensationers | PSHB enrollees | Annuitants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enroll or change enrollment | January 10, 2027 | January 24, 2027 | January 1, 2027 | January 1, 2027 |
| Cancel coverage | January 9, 2027 | January 23, 2027 | December 31, 2026 | December 31, 2026 |
FEDVIP and FSAFEDS changes made during open season take effect January 1, 2027 (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
02What is changing for the 2027 plan year?
The headline is that premiums are still rising, but more slowly than last year. OPM reported an average FEHB overall premium increase of 9.3 percent for 2027, down from 10.2 percent in 2026, and an average enrollee share increase of 10.9 percent, down from 12.3 percent (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
- Fewer plan options. FEHB will offer 118 plan options from 45 carriers in 2027. Nine FEHB options and one PSHB option are ending. Enrollees in an ending FEHB plan who do nothing are moved to Compass Rose Standard; the ending PSHB plan's default is FEP Blue Focus.
- Family member verification. Under the FEHB Protection Act of 2025, anyone adding a new family member during open season must submit documents proving that person's eligibility.
- Anti-obesity drug rules. All FEHB and PSHB carriers will require documented participation in an intensive behavioral therapy program before and during treatment with anti-obesity medications.
- FSAFEDS debit card. A Visa FSA card becomes an option for health care and limited expense FSA accounts, alongside paperless reimbursement.
- FEDVIP rates. Average dental premiums rise 1.0 percent and vision premiums 1.6 percent, and a new dental cost comparison tool covers 75 common services.
OPM's highlights document also notes that full plan brochures and the Plan Comparison Tool go live in early November, before open season begins (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11). That is your first chance to see exact benefit changes, not just rates.
03Who can make changes during open season?
Almost everyone enrolled or eligible. Employees, annuitants, survivor annuitants, and compensationers can enroll, switch plans, change options, change enrollment type, or cancel. Retirees have the same plan-switching rights as employees, which surprises many people.
There are limits. FSAFEDS is for active employees only (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11). And a retiree who cancels FEHB generally cannot re-enroll later, so canceling is a much bigger step than switching. If you are thinking of dropping FEHB because you now have Medicare, read the FEHB and Medicare guide first. Suspending is not the same as canceling.
Switching plans is reversible next year. Canceling FEHB in retirement usually is not.
04How do you compare FEHB plans in open season?
Compare plans on total annual cost and fit, not on premium alone. The steps below work for employees and retirees, and they work whether you are in FEHB or PSHB.
- 01
Read your plan's change notice
Your carrier mails or emails a summary of next year's changes. Note any premium jump, new deductible, or drug moved to a higher tier.
- 02
List what you use
Write down your doctors, your hospital, every prescription with its dose, and any planned care for next year, such as a surgery or a new baby.
- 03
Shortlist three plans
Use OPM's Plan Comparison Tool, or the PSHB System for postal enrollees, to filter by your ZIP code and enrollment type.
- 04
Check networks and formularies
Confirm each doctor and drug in each plan. A low premium is not a bargain if your specialist is out of network.
- 05
Price a normal year and a bad year
For each plan, add your share of the premium to expected cost sharing. Then add the premium to the catastrophic out-of-pocket maximum to see the worst case.
- 06
Make the change and keep the confirmation
Employees usually enroll through their agency's self-service system; annuitants use OPM's Retirement Services Online or call OPM; PSHB enrollees use the PSHB System.
05Worked example: comparing two plans on total cost
Here is the arithmetic, using hypothetical numbers for a retiree with Self Plus One coverage. Plan A has a lower premium and a higher deductible. Plan B costs more each month but pays more of your care.
| Hypothetical figures | Plan A | Plan B |
|---|---|---|
| Your premium share per month | $350 | $480 |
| Premium for 12 months | $4,200 | $5,760 |
| Expected out-of-pocket in a normal year | $2,400 | $900 |
| Normal-year total | $6,600 | $6,660 |
| Catastrophic out-of-pocket maximum | $9,000 | $6,000 |
| Worst-case year total | $13,200 | $11,760 |
In a normal year the two plans are almost identical. In a bad year, Plan B costs about $1,440 less. Which matters more depends on your health, your savings, and how much a bad year would strain your budget.
Your record, not our example
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06What should retirees near 65 check during open season?
If you or your spouse will turn 65 in the coming year, open season is the time to look at how each plan works with Medicare. Many FEHB plans waive deductibles and copays when Medicare Part B pays first, some offer Medicare Advantage options that reimburse part of the Part B premium, and many include Medicare Part D prescription coverage for Medicare-eligible annuitants (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
- Medicare coordination. Does the plan waive cost sharing when Medicare is primary?
- Part B reimbursement. Does the plan, or a Medicare Advantage option through it, give back any of your Part B premium?
- Prescription coverage. How does the plan's Part D arrangement work, and does it change your drug costs?
- Postal rules. If you are a postal annuitant in PSHB, check whether the Part B requirement applies to you.
Our FEHB vs Medicare tool lets you test these trade-offs on assumptions you choose.
07How is PSHB open season different?
PSHB enrollees use the same November 9 to December 14 window but compare and enroll through the Postal Service Health Benefits System rather than an agency self-service portal. OPM says the system's redesigned enrollee portal is scheduled to launch during this open season, with a clearer process for qualifying life events (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
For 2027, PSHB offers 65 plan options from 17 carriers. The average overall PSHB premium increase is 6.7 percent and the average enrollee share increase is 8.2 percent (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
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08Can you make changes outside open season?
Yes, but only with a qualifying life event (QLE). Common QLEs include marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, losing other health coverage, and moving out of your HMO's service area. Each event comes with a time window, and the change you can make depends on the event.
- Family changesMarriage, birth, adoption, and divorce can let you change enrollment type or plan.
- RetirementRetiring does not by itself open a plan change, but your coverage continues if you meet the five-year rule.
- Turning 65Medicare eligibility changes how your plan pays and may make a different plan a better fit.
09Moving forward after open season
Open season is a once-a-year decision, but it rides on bigger ones: when you retire, whether you take Medicare Part B, and how you protect a spouse. A plan change you make in December is easier to get right when those pieces are already settled.
Start with the FEHB guide for how the program works, check current totals on our FEHB premiums data page, and look at FEDVIP if you want separate dental and vision coverage.
FFEBA is an education organization. If you want someone to look at your own numbers, we can match you with a Federal Retirement Consultant (FRC), a professional trained on federal benefits. The FRC designation is listed with FINRA. The first review is free, nothing is booked until you choose a time, and you are never obligated to work with anyone we introduce. Get matched with an FRC.
10Questions federal employees ask
When is FEHB open season 2026?
OPM set the 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season for November 9 through December 14, 2026. Changes take effect January 1, 2027 for annuitants and PSHB enrollees and January 10, 2027 for most non-postal employees (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
Do retirees have to do anything during open season?
Not if they want to keep their current plan. FEHB, PSHB and FEDVIP enrollments continue automatically. The exception is anyone in a plan that is leaving the program: if you do not choose a new plan, OPM enrolls you in a default plan.
How much are FEHB premiums going up for 2027?
OPM reported an average enrollee share increase of 10.9 percent for FEHB and 8.2 percent for PSHB in plan year 2027. Individual plans vary widely around those averages, so check your own plan's rate (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
Can I change FEHB plans outside open season?
Yes, if you have a qualifying life event such as marriage, birth or adoption, loss of other coverage, or a move out of an HMO's service area. Each event has its own time limit, so act soon after it happens.
Do I need to re-enroll in FSAFEDS every year?
Yes. FSAFEDS does not carry over from year to year. Active employees who want a health care or dependent care flexible spending account for 2027 must enroll during open season. Retirees cannot participate.
What happens if my plan is leaving FEHB?
OPM lists nine FEHB plan options that will not be offered in 2027. If you are enrolled in one and do not pick a new plan during open season, you will be automatically enrolled in the default plan, Compass Rose Standard (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
Reviewed by the FFEBA education team. Last reviewed October 2026.
Sources
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights, 2027 Plan Year, retrieved 2026-10-11
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, news release: OPM announces 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season, retrieved 2026-10-11
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Open Season, retrieved 2026-07-05
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2026 FEHB fee-for-service premium rates (FFEBA data file), retrieved 2026-07-05
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, PSHB Program, retrieved 2026-10-11
Every government figure on this page carries its source and retrieval date. Worked examples are educational estimates on the assumptions shown, not a projection of any person's benefit. FFEBA is an education organization, not a financial advisor.
