FEHB Open Season 2026: Dates, 2027 Changes and a Deadline Checklist
Figures checked October 30, 2026 against primary sources
The 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season runs from November 9 to December 14, 2026. It is your yearly chance to change Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plans for plan year 2027, and to enroll in or change dental and vision coverage (FEDVIP) and flexible spending accounts (FSAFEDS). OPM says the average FEHB premium rises 9.3% for 2027 and the average enrollee share 10.9%, so checking your plan this year can save money.
Table of Contents
The Short Answer
- Open Season: November 9 to December 14, 2026.
- Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Monday, December 14, 2026. For FEHB and PSHB the time is local to your electronic enrollment system; for FEDVIP and FSAFEDS it is Eastern Time.
- New coverage starts: January 1, 2027 for retirees (annuitants), PSHB, FEDVIP and FSAFEDS; January 10, 2027 for non-Postal FEHB employees.
- Premiums: average FEHB premium up 9.3%, average enrollee share up 10.9%.
- Plans leaving: if your plan leaves FEHB and you do nothing, OPM enrolls you in Compass Rose Standard, the default plan it designated for enrollees of plans that are leaving.
- FSAFEDS: you must re-enroll every year to keep a flexible spending account.
Key Dates and When Changes Take Effect
OPM calls this the 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season, for plan year 2027. A change you make during Open Season takes effect at the start of 2027, but not on the same day for everyone.
| Who | New plan or change takes effect | A cancellation takes effect |
|---|---|---|
| FEHB, employees (non-Postal) | January 10, 2027 | January 9, 2027 |
| FEHB, OWCP (workers' compensation) enrollees | January 24, 2027 | January 23, 2027 |
| FEHB, annuitants (retirees) | January 1, 2027 | December 31, 2026 |
| PSHB (Postal employees and retirees) | January 1, 2027 | December 31, 2026 |
| FEDVIP and FSAFEDS | January 1, 2027 |
Employees' FEHB changes start with the first pay period of 2027, which is why the date is January 10 rather than January 1. OPM's FEHB Handbook says a change in enrollment "is effective the first day of the first pay period that begins in the following year".
What Premiums Do for 2027
OPM announced the 2027 rates on September 30, 2026. Across FEHB:
- Average total premium: up 9.3% (it rose 10.2% for 2026).
- Average enrollee share, the part you pay: up 10.9% (12.3% for 2026).
- Government contribution: up 8.6% (9.2% for 2026).
- FEDVIP: average dental premium up 1.0%, vision up 1.6%.
Averages hide large differences between plans. Some plans' enrollee share does not change at all for 2027, a few fall, and some rise by more than $100 per paycheck. Look up your own plan in our 2027 FEHB plans table, which lists every plan option with what you pay per paycheck and per month, or see the nationwide plans and the PSHB rates in our FEHB premiums 2027 guide.
Plans Leaving and Joining for 2027
For 2027, OPM counts 45 carriers and 118 plan options in FEHB, 17 carriers and 65 plan options in PSHB, and 11 dental and 5 vision carriers with 31 plan options in FEDVIP.
FEHB plans that will not be available in 2027:
- Independent Health Standard
- Independent Health HDHP
- Blue Care Network of Michigan, Southeast, High
- UnitedHealthcare (Choice Primary West) High
- UnitedHealthcare (Choice Plus Primary West) High
- Health Net of California (Northern) High
- Health Net of California (Southern) Standard, Basic and High
If you are in one of these plans, pick a new plan during Open Season. If you do not, OPM automatically enrolls you in Compass Rose Standard, the default plan it designated for enrollees of the plans that are leaving. In PSHB, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Inc. (Choice Plus Primary Postal East) leaves; the default plan for its enrollees is the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan FEP Blue Focus.
New for 2027: Sharp Health Plan Basic Option, an HMO in California (enrollment codes YJ1, YJ2 and YJ3), appears in OPM's 2027 rate tables as a new plan.
How to Compare Plans
- Start with what you pay. Find your current plan and two or three alternatives in the 2027 FEHB plans table. Multiply the biweekly amount by 26 for an employee's yearly premium, or the monthly amount by 12 for a retiree.
- Use OPM's tools. OPM's FEHB Plan Comparison Tool compares plan benefits side by side. Check that it shows 2027 plans before you rely on it.
- Read the 2027 brochure of any plan you consider: deductible, copays, out-of-pocket maximum, drug coverage and whether your doctors are in network.
- Check both family options. OPM notes that in some plans the enrollee share for Self Plus One is higher than for Self and Family. If you cover one family member, compare both; the example below shows why.
Worked Example: Self Plus One or Self and Family?
Hypothetical example. It uses OPM's 2027 rates for one plan and counts premiums only, not deductibles or copays.
An employee covers a spouse in MHBP Standard Option. For 2027 the enrollee share is $442.77 per biweekly paycheck for Self Plus One (code 456) and $400.78 for Self and Family (code 455). Over 26 paychecks that is $11,512.02 against $10,420.28. In this plan, choosing Self and Family instead of Self Plus One would cost $1,091.74 less in premiums for 2027 for the same two people. Confirm with your benefits office that the enrollment type fits your family before you change it.
A second check is the size of your own increase. In Blue Cross and Blue Shield Standard Option, Self Plus One (code 106), the biweekly enrollee share rises by $39.01 to $449.89, which is $1,014.26 more over 26 paychecks than in 2026.
Retirees With Medicare: What to Check
These points come from OPM's own pages on FEHB and Medicare:
- Part B help varies by plan. OPM says some FEHB plans offer reimbursement for Part B premiums, and your plan may waive its copayments, coinsurance and deductibles for services Medicare Part B covers. Compare what each plan offers in its 2027 brochure; plan-specific amounts were not published when we checked.
- Tell your plan. As soon as you or a covered family member enrolls in Medicare, let your FEHB plan know.
- HMO members: if you are in an FEHB HMO, you may go outside the HMO network for Part B services.
- Who pays first: with FEHB and Medicare, one insurance pays its benefits first, as the primary payer. OPM's page on which insurance pays first explains the rules and points to Medicare's tool.
The Part B premium itself is set by Medicare, not OPM; see our Medicare Part B premium guide.
FEDVIP and FSAFEDS
- Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 14, 2026. Coverage starts January 1, 2027.
- FEDVIP premiums: average dental premium up 1.0%, vision up 1.6% for 2027.
- FSAFEDS: you must re-enroll each year to keep contributing in 2027; an account does not roll over to a new year by itself.
- New for 2027: an FSAFEDS Visa FSA card for health care FSA and limited expense health care FSA accounts.
- Health FSA limit: for 2026 the IRS limit is $3,400, with up to $680 carried over if the plan allows it. The IRS had not published the 2027 limit when we checked.
Deadline Checklist
- Look up your plan's 2027 enrollee share in the 2027 FEHB plans table.
- Check whether your plan is on the list of plans leaving for 2027.
- Read the 2027 brochure for your plan and any plan you are considering.
- If you cover one family member, compare Self Plus One with Self and Family.
- Retirees with Medicare: compare Part B reimbursement and cost sharing across plans.
- Re-enroll in FSAFEDS if you want a flexible spending account in 2027.
- Review FEDVIP dental and vision coverage.
- Finish every change by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, December 14, 2026, and keep the confirmation.
Sources & Methodology
- OPM, Open Season: dates and deadlines.
- OPM, 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights for Plan Year 2027: effective dates, premium changes, plan counts, plans leaving, FSAFEDS.
- OPM news release, September 30, 2026: 2027 rates announced.
- OPM, FEHB premiums: 2027 rate tables (nationwide and HMO workbooks), including the new Sharp Health Plan rows and the example rates.
- OPM, FEHB Handbook: Enrollment: Open Season changes take effect the first day of the first pay period that begins in the following year.
- OPM, Medicare for annuitants and OPM, which insurance pays first.
- IRS, Revenue Procedure 2025-32: 2026 health FSA limit and carryover.
The worked example multiplies OPM's biweekly enrollee shares by 26 pay periods; that arithmetic is ours.
Sources: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (Open Season page, Open Season Highlights for Plan Year 2027, September 30, 2026 news release, 2027 FEHB premium tables, Medicare pages) and IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, retrieved October 30, 2026; OPM FEHB Handbook (Enrollment), retrieved October 31, 2026.
This article is for general information and is not advice on which plan to choose. The worked example is hypothetical. Confirm dates, rates and benefits with OPM, your plan brochure and your benefits office before you enroll.
FAQ
When is FEHB Open Season 2026?
November 9 to December 14, 2026. Changes must be made by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, December 14, 2026.
When do Open Season changes take effect?
January 1, 2027 for retirees, PSHB, FEDVIP and FSAFEDS, and January 10, 2027 for non-Postal FEHB employees.
How much are FEHB premiums going up for 2027?
OPM says the average total premium rises 9.3% and the average enrollee share rises 10.9%. Your own plan can differ a lot; check it in the 2027 FEHB plans table.
What happens if my FEHB plan leaves?
Choose a new plan during Open Season. If you do not, OPM enrolls you in Compass Rose Standard, the default plan it designated for enrollees of plans that are leaving.
Do I have to re-enroll in FSAFEDS?
Yes. FSAFEDS requires you to re-enroll each year to keep participating in the next plan year.
