Free preview: sections 1 and 2 of 6. The dates and the numbers are below for everyone. The rule changes, the plan check, the 65+ section, and the checklist open when you confirm your email.
Updated Oct 16, 2026 · Figures from OPM's 2027 Open Season Highlights unless noted
1. The dates that matter
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Early November | Plan brochures and OPM’s Plan Comparison Tool go live with 2027 benefits. |
| Mon, Nov 9, 2026 | Open Season opens for FEHB, PSHB, FEDVIP, and FSAFEDS. |
| November (date TBD) | CMS announces the official 2027 Medicare Part B premium (projected $209.50). |
| Mon, Dec 14, 2026 | Last day to enroll, change, or cancel. No extensions. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | New plans and rates take effect for annuitants, PSHB enrollees, FEDVIP, and FSAFEDS. |
| Jan 10, 2027 | New plans and rates take effect for most federal employees (first full pay period). OWCP compensationers: Jan 24. |
Health, dental, and vision coverage roll over automatically if you do nothing. FSAFEDS does not. If you want a flexible spending account in 2027 you must re-enroll between Nov 9 and Dec 14, even if nothing changed.
2. The 2027 numbers
| Item | 2027 | Context |
|---|---|---|
| FEHB premium, your share | +10.9% avg | Third straight double-digit year: +13.5% (2025), +12.3% (2026). |
| FEHB premium, total | +9.3% avg | Government share rises 8.6%. The gap is why your share rises faster than the total. |
| PSHB premium, your share | +8.2% avg | Total PSHB premium +6.7%. |
| FEDVIP dental / vision | +1.0% / +1.6% | 21 dental and 10 vision plan options. |
| Plan choices | 118 FEHB options | 45 carriers. 65 PSHB options. 9 FEHB options end after 2026 (list below). |
| HSA limit (if you pick an HDHP) | $4,500 self / $9,000 family | +$1,000 catch-up at 55+. HDHP minimum deductible $1,750 / $3,500. IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-24. |
| Health care FSA limit | Not yet set | IRS usually announces in late Oct or Nov. 2026 limit was $3,400. Dependent care FSA stays $7,500. |
| Medicare Part B premium | $209.50 projected | 2026 is $202.90. Official number comes from CMS in November. Matters if you are weighing Part B against your FEHB plan. |
| 2027 COLA | 3.6% CSRS / SS · 2.6% FERS | Announced Oct 14. For retirees, roughly a third of the COLA on a typical annuity will go to the premium increase. |
OPM attributes the increase to hospital, physician, and outpatient prices and use, continued growth in mental health care, and prescription drug spending, especially GLP-1s and specialty drugs. The 10.9% is a program-wide average: individual plans moved by very different amounts, and roughly 20 of the 118 options cost less for at least one enrollment type than they did in 2026. The headline number tells you nothing about your plan.
Inside the full cheat sheet
- Four rule changes for 2027 that are not about price: new documentation for adding a family member, the nine plans that are ending and where you land if you do nothing, the GLP-1 therapy requirement, and the FSAFEDS debit card.
- The 20-minute plan check: seven steps, in order, using OPM's tools and last year's EOBs.
- If you're 65+ or retiring in the next five years: the Part B decision, the 5-year rule, IRMAA, and the PSHB Medicare requirement.
- The Dec 14 checklist and every source link.