Wealthy PotFEHB Premiums 2027: Every Nationwide Plan's Rate, What Changed, and Open Season Dates
OPM published 2027 premiums for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) and Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) programs on September 30, 2026. Across FEHB, the average total premium rises 9.3% and the average enrollee share 10.9%. In PSHB, the averages are 6.7% and 8.2%. Those are averages: some nationwide plans hold the enrollee share flat for 2027, a few lower it, and others raise it by more than 40%. Open Season runs November 9 to December 14, 2026. Below: every nationwide plan's 2027 rate and change from OPM's own charts, a lookup tool, and the rules retirees and Postal enrollees should check before they choose.
Table of Contents
The Short Answer
- Open Season: November 9 to December 14, 2026. Changes take effect January 1, 2027 for retirees and PSHB enrollees, and January 10, 2027 (the first pay period) for non-Postal employees.
- FEHB 2027: average premium +9.3%, average enrollee share +10.9%, government share +8.6% (2026: +10.2%, +12.3%, +9.2%).
- PSHB 2027: average premium +6.7%, average enrollee share +8.2%, government share +6.0%.
- Government maximum (FEHB, biweekly): $352.04 Self Only, $767.53 Self Plus One, $843.82 Self and Family. It is 72% of the program-wide weighted average premium, capped at 75% of any plan's premium.
- Choices: 118 FEHB plan options from 45 carriers and 65 PSHB options from 17 carriers. Nine FEHB options and one PSHB option are leaving; their enrollees who do nothing are moved to a default plan.
- Doing nothing keeps your current plan at its 2027 premium. FSAFEDS accounts do not carry over: you must re-enroll for 2027.
2027 FEHB Rates: Nationwide Plans
These are the enrollee share per biweekly paycheck for non-Postal employees, with the change from 2026 in brackets, for every nationwide fee-for-service plan option, sorted by the Self Only rate. Regional HMOs, which make up most of the 118 options, are priced by area on OPM's site.
| Plan option | Self Only | Self Plus One | Self and Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compass Rose Health Plan – Standard Option | $69.04 (+$7.40) | $151.89 (+$16.28) | $165.69 (+$17.75) |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield – FEP Blue Focus | $74.16 (+$7.35) | $159.43 (+$15.80) | $175.35 (+$17.38) |
| GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan – Elevate Option | $77.92 (no change) | $187.99 (no change) | $228.85 (no change) |
| GEHA – HDHP | $81.62 (no change) | $175.47 (no change) | $215.63 (no change) |
| GEHA – Standard Option | $86.75 (no change) | $186.51 (no change) | $231.45 (no change) |
| APWU Health Plan – Consumer Driven Option | $102.63 (+$2.01) | $223.06 (+$4.38) | $243.34 (+$4.78) |
| SAMBA – Standard | $135.87 (+$13.01) | $264.64 (+$27.91) | $280.66 (+$23.18) |
| Foreign Service Benefit Plan – High Option | $143.75 (+$43.39) | $429.35 (+$171.39) | $382.65 (+$134.38) |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield – Basic Option | $145.46 (+$11.69) | $350.48 (+$31.23) | $387.54 (+$30.68) |
| Compass Rose Health Plan – High Option | $149.97 (+$9.91) | $336.89 (+$25.45) | $361.03 (+$23.46) |
| MHBP – Standard Option | $153.11 (+$59.22) | $442.77 (+$226.65) | $400.78 (+$182.58) |
| GEHA – High Option | $168.01 (−$27.28) | $376.59 (−$56.36) | $459.39 (−$65.79) |
| APWU Health Plan – High Option | $191.92 (+$51.76) | $374.71 (+$109.60) | $461.61 (+$123.89) |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield – Standard Option | $204.65 (+$16.33) | $449.89 (+$39.01) | $496.90 (+$39.24) |
| Panama Canal Area Benefit Plan – FFS Plan with a POS Option | $256.25 (−$49.33) | $457.87 (−$100.81) | $437.78 (−$112.27) |
| GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan – Elevate Plus Option | $262.63 (+$57.50) | $578.95 (+$129.37) | $634.19 (+$138.07) |
| SAMBA – High | $308.98 (+$82.89) | $686.75 (+$186.02) | $742.68 (+$198.63) |
Source: OPM, 2027 FEHB premium rates, fee-for-service (nationwide) plans, enrollee share biweekly; change is OPM's "change in employee payment" column. Some nationwide plans limit enrollment to members of a sponsoring organization or to certain agencies; check eligibility in each plan's brochure.
Three things stand out. MHBP Standard's Self Only share rises by 63% and its Self Plus One share more than doubles. GEHA's Standard, HDHP and Elevate options do not change at all, while GEHA High falls by 14%. And in several plans Self Plus One now costs more than Self and Family: if you cover one family member, OPM lets you pick whichever of the two is cheaper.
Two MHBP options sold nationwide in 2026, the Consumer Option HDHP and the Value Plan, do not appear on OPM's 2027 FEHB rate charts. If you are enrolled in either, read your plan's Open Season notice and choose a plan for 2027.
2027 Monthly Rates for Retirees
Annuitants pay the same enrollee share as employees, deducted monthly from the annuity. Selected nationwide options:
| Plan option | Self Only per month | Self and Family per month |
|---|---|---|
| Compass Rose – Standard | $149.58 (+$16.03) | $359.00 (+$38.46) |
| Blue Cross – FEP Blue Focus | $160.69 (+$15.93) | $379.93 (+$37.65) |
| GEHA – Standard | $187.95 (no change) | $501.47 (no change) |
| Blue Cross – Basic | $315.17 (+$25.34) | $839.67 (+$66.47) |
| MHBP – Standard | $331.74 (+$128.30) | $868.35 (+$395.59) |
| GEHA – High | $364.03 (−$59.10) | $995.34 (−$142.55) |
| Blue Cross – Standard | $443.41 (+$35.39) | $1,076.61 (+$85.01) |
Source: OPM 2027 FEHB rate charts, monthly enrollee share. The lookup tool below covers every nationwide option and enrollment type.
2027 PSHB Rates (Postal)
Postal employees and Postal annuitants enroll in PSHB, not FEHB. Biweekly enrollee share for the nationwide PSHB plans, with the change from 2026:
| Plan option | Self Only | Self Plus One | Self and Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| NALC – Consumer Driven Health Plan | $80.53 (+$13.42) | $183.15 (+$30.52) | $198.26 (+$33.05) |
| MHBP – Value Plan | $83.22 (+$12.82) | $200.18 (+$33.37) | $206.73 (+$36.58) |
| Blue Cross – FEP Blue Focus | $84.17 (+$9.02) | $180.95 (+$19.39) | $199.03 (+$21.33) |
| GEHA – Standard Option | $84.77 (no change) | $182.26 (no change) | $225.18 (no change) |
| GEHA – HDHP | $84.88 (no change) | $182.50 (no change) | $224.27 (no change) |
| APWU – Consumer Driven Option | $100.21 (+$9.11) | $217.81 (+$19.81) | $237.61 (+$21.60) |
| NALC – High Option | $116.06 (−$5.08) | $290.00 (−$3.31) | $270.37 (+$2.95) |
| MHBP – Standard Option | $137.78 (+$45.69) | $395.93 (+$183.96) | $372.83 (+$158.83) |
| Blue Cross – Basic Option | $139.94 (+$12.35) | $340.28 (+$26.44) | $385.46 (+$27.94) |
| APWU – High Option | $142.97 (+$35.82) | $279.13 (+$62.95) | $358.28 (+$82.34) |
| Rural Carrier Benefit Plan – High Option | $179.37 (+$21.13) | $346.96 (+$40.46) | $339.96 (+$39.70) |
| Blue Cross – Standard Option | $196.30 (+$6.20) | $435.86 (+$11.44) | $490.62 (+$11.41) |
Source: OPM 2027 PSHB premium rates, fee-for-service plans. The PSHB government maximum is $318.23 / $689.34 / $748.55 biweekly. OPM says the employer contribution is the same across Postal unions and management associations except for non-career employees or where a collective bargaining agreement says otherwise.
Look Up Your 2027 Premium
Pick your plan, enrollment type and whether you pay as an employee (per paycheck) or a retiree (per month). The tool shows your 2027 share, the change from 2026, the cost for the year, and the lowest-premium nationwide option for comparison.
Premium is only half the cost. A plan with a lower premium usually has a higher deductible and out-of-pocket limit. Compare your expected total cost, premium plus what you would pay for care, in OPM's plan comparison tool. Full 2027 plan brochures are posted in early November.
What Else Changes for 2027
- Proof for new family members. Under the FEHB Protection Act of 2025, anyone adding a new family member during Open Season must submit documents to verify that person's eligibility.
- Weight-loss drugs. Plans still cover at least one GLP-1 anti-obesity medication and at least two oral ones, but every carrier will require documented participation in an intensive behavioral therapy program before and during treatment.
- FSAFEDS debit card. Health care and limited expense FSAs get an optional Visa FSA card. FSAFEDS is for active employees only, and you must re-enroll each year.
- Plans leaving. Nine FEHB options are leaving, all regional: Independent Health Standard and HDHP; Blue Care Network of Michigan Southeast High; two UnitedHealthcare West options; and four Health Net of California options. Their enrollees who do not choose a new plan are moved to Compass Rose Standard. In PSHB, the UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus Primary Postal East option is leaving, with FEP Blue Focus as the default.
Retirees: FEHB, Medicare and the Rules That Matter
- The five-year rule. To keep FEHB in retirement, you generally need to be enrolled (or covered as a family member) for the five years of service right before your annuity starts, or since your first chance to enroll if that is shorter, and be retiring on an immediate annuity, including FERS MRA+10. Time covered by TRICARE counts, but you must be in an FEHB plan on the day you retire.
- Canceling is permanent. An annuitant who cancels FEHB can never re-enroll. Suspending is different: you can suspend FEHB to join a Medicare Advantage plan, Medicaid, TRICARE or CHAMPVA, and come back later during an Open Season, or within 60 days if you lose that other coverage involuntarily.
- Medicare is optional with FEHB. Your FEHB coverage continues whether or not you take Part B, and your FEHB premium does not drop when you enroll in Medicare. Once you have Medicare as a retiree, Medicare pays first. FEHB counts as creditable drug coverage, so there is no Part D late penalty for relying on it. Part B does carry its own late penalty: 10% for each 12 months you could have had it and did not.
- Part B help from some plans. OPM says some FEHB plans reimburse part of the Part B premium, and many Medicare Advantage plans offered through FEHB reimburse some or all of it. Amounts differ by plan and appear in the 2027 brochures. For the trade-offs, see Medigap vs Medicare Advantage and the Part B premium and IRMAA pages.
- A one-time change around Medicare. Starting 30 days before you become eligible for Medicare, you may change to any plan or option once, outside Open Season.
Postal Employees and Retirees: PSHB Rules
- PSHB replaced FEHB for Postal enrollees on January 1, 2025, under the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. A Postal employee or annuitant covered as a family member on a non-Postal FEHB plan can keep that coverage.
- Part B is required in retirement. A Postal annuitant who is entitled to Medicare Part A must be enrolled in Part B to enroll in PSHB, and the same applies to covered family members. If you decline Part B, you cannot get PSHB coverage in retirement, even if you sign up for Part B later.
- The exceptions, set in the statute: people who were already Postal annuitants on January 1, 2025 without both Part A and Part B; employees who were 64 or older on January 1, 2025; people living outside the United States; and people enrolled in VA health care or eligible for Indian Health Service care.
- Drug coverage comes through the plan. Medicare-eligible Postal annuitants and family members are automatically enrolled in their PSHB plan's Medicare Part D employer group plan at no extra premium. Opting out means no PSHB drug coverage at the same premium.
How to Change Plans During Open Season
- Check your current plan's 2027 premium in the tables or the lookup above, and read its notice of changes.
- Compare total costs in OPM's comparison tool once brochures post in early November, especially if your plan is leaving or its premium jumps.
- Enroll or change by December 14, 2026.
- Non-Postal employees use their agency's self-service system, such as Employee Express, or their benefits office.
- Postal employees and Postal retirees use the Postal Service Health Benefits System (PSHBS).
- Non-Postal retirees use OPM's Open Season Online or Open Season Express at 1-800-332-9798.
- Re-enroll in FSAFEDS if you want a 2027 flexible spending account. For 2026 the health care FSA limit is $3,400 with a $680 carryover; the 2027 limit had not been published as of October 12, 2026.
- Check the first 2027 paycheck or annuity statement to make sure the new premium is right.
Sources & Methodology
- OPM, FEHB premiums and PSHB premiums: 2027 rate charts for fee-for-service plans, government contribution maximums and weighted averages.
- OPM, 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights for Plan Year 2027: dates, average changes, plan counts, exiting plans, program changes; OPM news release of September 30, 2026.
- OPM Carrier Letter 2026-07 (March 31, 2026): 2027 benefit and policy direction to carriers.
- 5 U.S.C. 8905, 8906 and 8903c (govinfo): the five-year rule, the government contribution formula and PSHB.
- 5 CFR 890.304, 890.306 and 892.201 (eCFR): suspension and re-enrollment, premium conversion.
- OPM pages on Medicare and FEHB, PSHB and Medicare, FEHB for annuitants, and how to enroll; IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 for the 2026 FSA limit.
Method notes. Rates in the tables and the lookup tool are copied from OPM's 2027 rate spreadsheets for nationwide plans; the yearly totals and the comparisons with the lowest-premium option are our arithmetic. Rates apply to most employees and annuitants. Some Postal employees, temporary employees and people on Temporary Continuation of Coverage pay different amounts.
This article is educational and is not insurance, tax or benefits advice. Wealthy Pot is not affiliated with OPM, the Postal Service or any FEHB or PSHB carrier. Figures were checked against OPM, the U.S. Code and the eCFR on 2026-10-12. Your benefits officer, OPM Retirement Services or your plan's brochure is the final word on your coverage.
FAQ
When is FEHB Open Season 2026?
November 9 through December 14, 2026, for the 2027 plan year. The same dates apply to PSHB, FEDVIP dental and vision, and FSAFEDS.
How much are FEHB premiums going up in 2027?
On average, the total premium rises 9.3% and the enrollee share 10.9%. Your own change depends on the plan: among nationwide options it ranges from a cut of about 16% to an increase of more than 60% in the Self Only share.
What happens if I do nothing during Open Season?
You stay in your current plan at its 2027 premium, unless the plan is leaving the program; then you are moved to the default plan OPM named. FSAFEDS does not continue automatically.
Do retirees pay more for FEHB than employees?
No. Annuitants pay the same enrollee share, monthly from the annuity instead of biweekly. Employees usually pay it pre-tax through premium conversion, which ends when you retire, so retirees pay with after-tax money.
Do I need Medicare Part B if I have FEHB?
Not to keep FEHB. It is a personal choice that depends on your plan, your health and any Part B reimbursement your plan offers. Postal retirees in PSHB are different: Part B is generally required.
Is Self Plus One always cheaper than Self and Family?
No. In several 2027 plans the Self Plus One share is higher. OPM lets an enrollee covering one family member choose either type.
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"FEHB Premiums 2027: Every Nationwide Plan's Rate, What Changed, and Open Season Dates." Wealthy Pot, 2026. https://wealthypot.com/fehb-premiums-2027/
