Federal Benefits Open Season 2026 Runs Nov. 9 to Dec. 14: FEHB Dates, 2027 Premiums and Effective Dates

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) says the Federal Benefits Open Season for plan year 2027 runs from Monday, Nov. 9 through Monday, Dec. 14, 2026. OPM announced the season at the end of September. The average Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) enrollee share goes up 10.9% for 2027, after a 12.3% rise for 2026, according to OPM’s Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights. Our free printable checklist below puts the dates and to-dos on one page.

What are the open season dates and deadlines?

OPM’s open season page lists the season as Nov. 9 to Dec. 14, 2026. The closing time depends on the program.

Program	Deadline on Mon., Dec. 14, 2026
Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)	11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)
Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS)	11:59 p.m. ET
FEHB and Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB)	11:59 p.m., per the location of your electronic enrollment system

Both Nov. 9 and Dec. 14 are Mondays. The November 2026 printable calendar and the December 2026 printable calendar show the full window.

How much do 2027 FEHB and PSHB premiums change?

OPM’s highlights give these average changes for 2027, with the 2026 enrollee-share change for comparison.

Program	Enrollee share, 2027	Enrollee share, 2026	Overall premium, 2027	Government contribution, 2027
FEHB	+10.9%	+12.3%	+9.3%	+8.6%
PSHB	+8.2%	+11.3%	+6.7%	+6.0%

For FEDVIP, OPM says the average dental premium rises 1.0% and the average vision premium rises 1.6%.

OPM describes the government share as “the lesser of: (1) 72% … or (2) 75% of the total premium for the particular plan.” The figures are averages, so your own plan’s change will differ. Check the brochure for each plan you are considering.

What plans can you choose from?

According to OPM, the 2027 plan year has these options.

Program	Carriers	Plan options
FEHB	45	118
PSHB	17	65
FEDVIP	11 dental and 5 vision	31 (21 dental, 10 vision)

Some plans end after 2026. OPM says eight FEHB plans end for 2027, and the default plan is Compass Rose Standard. In PSHB, UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus Primary Postal East ends, and the default is Blue Focus.

Where can you compare plans?

OPM says full FEHB, PSHB and FEDVIP brochures go up on OPM.gov in early November. The Plan Comparison Tool is also on OPM.gov and on the PSHB site. For FEDVIP, a dental cost tool is on Benefeds.gov. OPM also says a redesign of the PSHB Enrollee Portal is scheduled to launch during open season.

When do 2027 coverage and cancellations take effect?

OPM lists different effective dates by group.

Group	Coverage starts	Cancellation date
FEHB, non-USPS employees	Sun., Jan. 10, 2027	Sat., Jan. 9, 2027
FEHB, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) compensationers	Sun., Jan. 24, 2027	Sat., Jan. 23, 2027
PSHB enrollees and annuitants	Fri., Jan. 1, 2027	Thu., Dec. 31, 2026
FEDVIP	Fri., Jan. 1, 2027	-
FSAFEDS	Fri., Jan. 1, 2027	-

USPS stands for the U.S. Postal Service. Check the row for your group before you assume a Jan. 1 start.

What changes for FSAFEDS and family members?

OPM says FSAFEDS participation “does not automatically continue from year to year.” Current participants who want to continue for Benefit Year 2027 must reenroll. A flexible spending account (FSA) is the account type FSAFEDS offers. New for 2027 is the FSAFEDS Visa FSA Card for health care FSA and limited expense health care FSA accounts, with a choice of a debit card or paperless reimbursement. The 2027 FSA contribution limits are not yet announced because the Internal Revenue Service had not released them.

There is also a new documentation rule. OPM says “anyone that is adding a new family member to their FEHB or PSHB plan during Open Season for Plan Year 2027, must submit supporting documentation,” a requirement from the FEHB Protection Act of 2025. Gather those papers before the deadline.

Related enrollment deadlines

Other enrollment windows are open at the same time. Medicare’s open enrollment ends Dec. 7, and the Affordable Care Act marketplace open enrollment starts Nov. 1. The month’s other deadlines are in our December 2026 important dates list.