Published
Oct 19, 2026
Last Updated
Oct 19, 2026
2027 FEHB Changes: What Federal Employees Need to Know Before November 9
The 2027 FEHB changes are the premium, plan-availability, eligibility, and benefit updates that OPM announced for the 2027 plan year. FEHB is the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. OPM is the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
According to OPM, the average enrollee share of FEHB premiums rises 10.9% in 2027. Nine FEHB plan options are leaving the program, and new family-member documentation rules apply. For a closer look at how these changes may affect federal employees and their families, review the 2027 Blue Cross FEHB premiums before Open Season begins. Open Season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026.
According to OPM, the FEHB and PSHB programs together provide health coverage to approximately 7.9 million people. That group includes federal employees, Postal Service employees, certain tribal employees, annuitants, and their eligible family members. PSHB is the Postal Service Health Benefits Program.
Your plan choice affects your paycheck now and your retirement budget later.
Federal Pension Advisors, a retirement planning firm specializing in federal employee benefits, prepared this guide for educational purposes. It is not personalized advice.
What Are the 2027 FEHB Changes?
The 2027 FEHB changes are the updates to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program that take effect for the 2027 plan year. According to OPM, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, they fall into five areas: plan availability, premiums, benefits, coverage options, and enrollment considerations. Federal employees and retirees should also understand how rising health insurance costs compare with retirement income adjustments, including the 2027 COLA and FEHB premium changes.
- Premiums: the average enrollee share rises 10.9%.
- Plan availability: nine FEHB plan options are not available in 2027.
- Eligibility: adding a new family member during Open Season requires supporting documentation.
- Benefits: carriers follow updated OPM direction on anti-obesity medications, vaccines, maternal health, and non-drug therapies.
- Timing: Open Season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026.
OPM states that health, dental, and vision enrollment continues automatically from year to year unless you make a change. FSAFEDS, the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program, is the exception. It requires re-enrollment every year.
2027 FEHB Open Season Dates and Effective Dates
FEHB Open Season for the 2027 plan year runs from Monday, November 9, 2026 through Monday, December 14, 2026. According to the OPM Open Season page, FEHB and PSHB Open Season ends at 11:59 pm on December 14, per the location of your electronic enrollment system.
OPM has published 2027 premium rates. Its Highlights say full brochures and comparison-tool benefit information will arrive in early November. Federal employees preparing for retirement can also use this federal retirement benefits checklist to review important benefits and retirement planning considerations.
Check OPM's website for the latest brochures, premium tables, and comparison-tool details. Availability may differ by resource.
The date your change takes effect depends on your status:
Source: OPM, Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights, 2027 Plan Year. OWCP is the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs.
According to OPM, FEDVIP and FSAFEDS elections take effect January 1, 2027. FEDVIP is the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program.
2027 FEHB Premium Changes: How Much More Will You Pay?
FEHB enrollees will pay an average of 10.9% more toward premiums in 2027. According to OPM, that is down from 12.3% in 2026. Average premiums overall rise 9.3%, and the government contribution rises 8.6%. As federal employees prepare for retirement, understanding what happens after OPM receives a retirement application can also help them plan for the transition and review their benefits.
OPM attributes the increases mainly to higher prices and use of hospital, physician, and surgical services. It also cites growth in behavioral health care and higher drug spending, particularly on GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and specialty drugs.
Source: OPM, Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights, 2027 Plan Year.
These are program-wide averages, not your personal increase. Your change depends on your plan and enrollment type. OPM encourages enrollees to review plan-specific premium changes and to weigh plan quality and coverage, not premiums alone.
According to OPM's 2027 premiums page, the maximum government contribution for most employees and annuitants is 72% of the program-wide weighted average premium:
Source: OPM, 2027 Premiums page.
OPM's Highlights state that for most enrollees, the government contribution is the lesser of 72% of the weighted average or 75% of the premium for the plan you select.
OPM also notes that in some cases the enrollee share for Self Plus One is higher than for Self and Family. Enrollees covering one eligible family member may elect either type. Comparing Self Plus One against Self and Family can therefore change your cost.
OPM publishes plan-level rate charts on its 2027 premiums page. Check your own plan's rate chart.
Which FEHB Plans Are Leaving in 2027?
Nine FEHB plan options are not available in 2027. According to OPM, enrollees in these terminating plans must select a new plan during Open Season:
- Independent Health Standard
- Independent Health HDHP (high-deductible health plan)
- 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
According to OPM, if you are in one of these nine plans and do not choose a new one, OPM automatically enrolls you in the FEHB default, Compass Rose Standard. For the one terminating PSHB plan, UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus Primary Postal East, OPM lists a separate default: the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan FEP Blue Focus. If you need to compare coverage costs for your household when reviewing replacement options, this guide to FEHB Self Plus One vs. Self & Family explains how the two enrollment types differ and why comparing premiums can help you make an informed choice.
A default assignment is not a recommendation to keep that plan. It may differ from your current plan in network, deductible, coverage, and premium, so review it before you let it stand.
If your plan is ending, review OPM's instructions and your replacement options. For 2027, OPM offers 118 FEHB plan options from 45 carriers and 65 PSHB plan options from 17 carriers. Not every plan is available in every area.
New Family Member Eligibility Verification
Anyone adding a new family member to an FEHB or PSHB plan during Open Season must now submit supporting documentation. According to OPM, this applies beginning with Open Season for Plan Year 2027, and it allows OPM to verify the family member's eligibility. The requirement comes from the FEHB Protection Act of 2025, Section 90101 of Public Law 119-21.
OPM states that this Open Season requirement is in addition to existing verification rules. Employing offices already verify family members added at the Initial Opportunity to Enroll and through Qualifying Life Events. Those responsibilities continue.
The requirement applies when you add a family member. It does not mean every currently enrolled family member must automatically submit documents again. If acceptable proof of eligibility was provided during the same plan year, OPM says additional documentation is not required for that family member. Separately, federal employees approaching retirement can use a FERS Supplement Calculator to estimate their potential supplement and better understand their retirement income.
If the documentation was received outside that plan year, verification may be required again. The documents required depend on your circumstances.
Gather them before Open Season, and ask your agency benefits officer which apply. OPM explains the process on its family member eligibility verification page.
2027 FEHB Benefit Changes
The items below describe OPM's direction to carriers. Actual coverage varies by plan, so the plan brochure is the final authority.
- Anti-obesity medications: According to OPM, plans continue to cover at least one GLP-1 anti-obesity medication and at least two oral anti-obesity medications.
- Behavioral therapy: Carriers will require documented participation in intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) before and during treatment with anti-obesity medications.
- Therapy coverage: Plans are expected to cover individual and group IBT and medical nutrition therapy, including 12 to 22 IBT sessions yearly, depending on progress.
- Vaccine incentives: OPM states carriers were directed to remove provider-based monetary incentives tied to pediatric and prenatal vaccine uptake.
- Vaccine coverage: Plans must continue to fully cover in-network vaccinations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
- Non-drug therapies: OPM says members can expect a coordinated medical-benefit approach to nutrition counseling, physical therapy, and similar services.
- Conditions covered: The approach targets diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and pain management.
- Maternal health: According to OPM, all FEHB and PSHB enrollees will receive in-network coverage without cost sharing for perinatal depression preventive interventions.
- Recommended interventions: Coverage applies to interventions recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
- Digital therapeutics: OPM states plans may cover qualifying digital therapeutics, and coverage varies by plan.
- Wellness incentives: Participatory wellness incentives expand to all members.
- Prescription pricing: OPM says plan materials will include information on the TrumpRx cash-pay initiative.
Specific coverage criteria differ by plan and medication, so check your brochure. If you use or are considering an anti-obesity medication, review your selected plan's 2027 formulary, coverage criteria, and any required behavioral therapy.
Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending Account Changes
FEDVIP offers dental and vision coverage separate from FEHB. According to OPM, average FEDVIP premiums rise 1.0% for dental and 1.6% for vision.
OPM also reports a new Compare Dental Service Costs Tool on BENEFEDS.gov. It estimates out-of-pocket ranges for 75 common dental services across 11 dental carriers.
FSAFEDS requires re-enrollment each year. FEHB, PSHB, and FEDVIP coverage, by contrast, generally continues if you make no change.
According to OPM, the FSAFEDS Visa FSA Card is new for 2027. Health Care FSA and Limited Expense Health Care FSA participants can choose the debit card or paperless reimbursement.
If you pair a high-deductible plan with a Health Savings Account (HSA), review the 2027 HSA contribution limits as well.
How the 2027 FEHB Changes Affect Retirement Planning
FEHB premiums continue into retirement, so the 2027 changes can affect your retirement budget. FERS, the Federal Employees Retirement System, and CSRS, the Civil Service Retirement System, are the two federal annuity systems. The 10.9% figure is an average, and your change depends on your plan and enrollment type. Reviewing your projected expenses, benefits, and retirement income through federal retirement planning can help you understand how healthcare premiums may fit into your overall retirement budget.
Four areas deserve attention.
The five-year rule
According to OPM, an employee generally must be enrolled in or covered by FEHB for the five years of service immediately before retirement. If the employee has been eligible to enroll for less than five years, the requirement is generally coverage for the entire period since the first opportunity to enroll.
The employee must also be enrolled in an FEHB plan on the date of retirement. Confirm your eligibility with your agency's HR office, because your agency applies these rules and determines your eligibility. See OPM's FEHB eligibility and enrollment page and review how FEHB works in retirement.
Annuity budgeting
Higher FEHB premiums can reduce the amount of your FERS or CSRS annuity available for other expenses. The effect depends on your enrollment and retirement circumstances.
A lower-premium plan is not automatically the better fit. Only an individual comparison shows which plan suits your situation.
Retirement income planning
Include potential healthcare costs in your retirement income plan. Assess how any planned withdrawals from the TSP, or Thrift Savings Plan, the federal government's tax-advantaged retirement savings program, could affect your long-term savings. Use a TSP calculator to estimate potential account growth and review your retirement savings projections. Review TSP contribution limits for 2027 as part of that plan.
Medicare, FEGLI, and the FERS supplement
Medicare also interacts with FEHB for eligible retirees, so compare FEHB and Medicare coordination before you retire. FEGLI, the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance program, does not take part in Open Season, but FEGLI decisions belong in the same benefits review. If you retire before age 62, the FERS supplement may also factor into your income.
How to Review Your FEHB Options Before November 9
You can review your 2027 FEHB options in six steps:
- Check plan availability. Confirm your plan is not on OPM's terminating list.
- Estimate 2027 health needs. Consider expected surgeries, new babies, and prescription changes, as OPM suggests.
- Compare total cost. Add premiums, deductibles, copayments, and expected out-of-pocket spending.
- Check prescriptions and providers. Confirm the plan's formulary and network cover each one.
- Gather family documents. If you are adding a family member, prepare eligibility documentation.
- Elect by December 14, 2026. Confirm the change in your agency's system, and keep the confirmation.
Use OPM's FEHB Plan Comparison Tool and the plan brochures for plan-level details as they become available.
Conclusion: Review Your Options Before December 14
The 2027 FEHB changes bring a 10.9% average enrollee premium increase, nine departing plan options, a new family-eligibility documentation rule, and updated benefit direction. Open Season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026. Compare your plan's total cost and coverage before you decide.
Federal Pension Advisors, a retirement planning firm specializing in federal employee benefits, helps federal employees evaluate how health insurance costs fit into their broader retirement plans. Review your FEHB options alongside your expected annuity income, healthcare expenses, and TSP withdrawal strategy. Book a retirement planning appointment to discuss how these factors may fit into your retirement plans.
Talk to a federal retirement specialist about how healthcare costs may fit into your retirement plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2027 FEHB Changes
When is FEHB open season for 2027?
Open Season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) runs Monday, November 9, through Monday, December 14, 2026, for 2027 coverage. According to OPM, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, most employee changes take effect January 10, 2027. Annuitant changes take effect January 1, 2027.
How much will FEHB premiums go up in 2027?
According to OPM, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the enrollee share of Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) premiums rises 10.9% on average for 2027, versus 12.3% in 2026. The overall average premium rises 9.3%. Individual plans vary, so check your specific plan.
What happens if my FEHB plan is leaving the program in 2027?
Enrollees in a terminating Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) plan must select a new plan during Open Season, or OPM automatically enrolls them in the designated default plan. According to OPM, the FEHB default for 2027 is Compass Rose Standard. Nine FEHB plan options are not available in 2027.
Do I need to submit proof to add a family member to FEHB in 2027?
Yes. Anyone adding a new family member to a Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) plan during Open Season for Plan Year 2027 must submit supporting documentation. OPM uses it to verify eligibility. According to OPM, the FEHB Protection Act of 2025 requires this.
Can I keep FEHB in retirement?
Yes. According to OPM, a retiring employee generally must be enrolled or covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) for the five years of service immediately before retirement. If eligible to enroll for less than five years, the employee generally needs coverage since the first opportunity to enroll. The employee must be enrolled on the retirement date.
Can I change my FEHB plan outside of open season?
Yes, but generally only after a qualifying life event, such as marriage, birth, or loss of other coverage. According to OPM, qualifying life events can allow an immediate enrollment change outside Open Season. Contact your agency benefits officer promptly to confirm which changes and deadlines apply to you.
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, legal, tax, or benefits advice. Federal Pension Advisors does not provide personalized recommendations or guarantee any particular outcome. Verify current rules and plan details with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and your agency's benefits office before making enrollment or retirement decisions.
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Thomas A. Doherty
Thomas A. Doherty is a retirement planning consultant with 35 years of experience helping individuals, federal employees, academic employees, and business owners better understand their retirement options. His work focuses on helping clients make the most of their available benefits, insurance policies, and investment plans so they can build more stable retirement income and reduce unnecessary financial risk.
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