Updated November 14, 2026. For federal employees and retirees in FEHB, and postal employees in PSHB. Not legal or financial advice; confirm your own situation with your HR office or OPM Retirement Services.
Where you are, and the decision in front of you
| Stage | The decision that matters now | Section |
|---|---|---|
| First years on the job | Pick the right enrollment type, and stay enrolled: your 5-year clock may already be running | 1, 3 |
| Getting married, having a baby | Change your enrollment within 60 days, with the documents ready | 2 |
| Mid-career, spouse has a plan | Don't drop FEHB for a spouse's plan within 5 years of retiring | 3 |
| Thinking about leaving early | Leaving before your MRA can end FEHB for good | 3 |
| Divorcing | Notify HR within 60 days so your former spouse keeps their options | 4 |
| Retiring | Choose a survivor annuity and keep Self Plus One or Self and Family if a spouse depends on you | 4 |
| Turning 65 | Decide on Medicare Part B inside the window that applies to you | 5 |
1. Choosing the right enrollment
| Enrollment | Covers | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Self Only | You | Cheapest. Fine while single, but switch within 60 days of a marriage or birth. |
| Self Plus One | You and one family member you name | In some plans it costs more than Self and Family because of how the government share is calculated. Compare both. |
| Self and Family | You, your spouse, and children under 26 | A disabled child who can't support themselves can stay covered past 26 if the disability began before 26. |
What the government pays: about 72% of the program-wide weighted average premium, but never more than 75% of your plan's premium. You pay the rest. Employees pay their share before tax (premium conversion); retirees pay it from the annuity after tax, at the same government share as employees.
HDHP with an HSA: the plan deposits part of your premium into a health savings account each month. For 2027 the HSA limit is $4,500 for Self Only and $9,000 for Self Plus One or Self and Family, plus $1,000 at 55 or older, counting the plan's deposit. The money is yours for life and can pay medical costs tax-free in retirement.
The rest of the guide opens when you confirm your email
The life events that let you change coverage mid-year and the deadlines for each, the 5-year rule and the three moves that break it, how a survivor annuity decides whether your spouse keeps FEHB, what happens in a divorce, the Medicare Part B decision at 65 with every enrollment window and the penalty, the PSHB rule for postal retirees, and the 10 mistakes that cost people their coverage.