2027 FEHB premiums land in two weeks. Here is what to watch.
OPM publishes next year’s FEHB and PSHB rates in late September, and after a 12.3% average increase for 2026 the number will get attention. The average is the least useful figure in the announcement. Here is what actually decides your cost, what to check the day the rates post, and the documentation rule that now applies to anyone adding a family member during Open Season.
1. Why the average does not tell you much
The government pays roughly 70% of a weighted-average premium, capped at 75% of any individual plan’s premium. The practical consequence: when a plan’s total premium rises faster than the program average, the extra falls disproportionately on the enrollee. Two plans can both report a “12%” increase and produce very different changes in what comes out of your check.
So the number to find is not the headline average. It is your plan’s enrollee share, at your tier, next to two or three alternatives.
2. Five things to check the day it posts
- Your enrollee share, not the total premium. Biweekly for employees, monthly for annuitants — make sure you are comparing the right column.
- Your tier. Benefits are identical across self only, self plus one, and self and family, so the tier is pure cost — and in 2026, 39 plans priced self plus one above self and family. An empty-nester on family may be overpaying; see the tier guide.
- The Part B giveback. Several plans reimburse $800–$1,200 a year of the Medicare Part B premium for enrolled members. With Part B projected at $218.60 for 2027, that reimbursement is worth more than most plan-to-plan premium differences. See the givebacks list.
- The prescription drug design. The Part D EGWP structure and the $2,100 out-of-pocket cap changed the calculus for anyone with high drug costs.
- Plan exits. If your plan is leaving the program or your region, you must make an election — there is no automatic equivalent.
3. The verification rule
Since July 1, 2026, adding a family member to an FEHB enrollment requires documentary proof of eligibility — every time, including during Open Season. Marriage and birth certificates are the common ones, and in some cases a second proof of a current relationship is required for a spouse married more than twelve months. An addition submitted without documentation will not be processed, and there is no grace period for a January 1 effective date. See the verification rule.
If you plan to add anyone, assemble the documents before November 9 rather than during the last week of the window.
4. Retirees: two extra items
Premiums come out of your annuity after tax. Annuitants cannot use premium conversion, so the same premium costs a retiree more than it cost the same person as an employee — several hundred dollars a year at a 22% marginal rate. Budget the increase on an after-tax basis.
Your tier decides your spouse’s coverage after you die. A surviving spouse continues FEHB only if you elected a survivor annuity and your enrollment covered them on the date of death. Dropping to self only to save premium ends that permanently, even though the survivor annuity election is untouched. See survivor FEHB.
5. FAQ
When are the 2027 FEHB premiums announced?
OPM normally publishes the following year’s FEHB and PSHB premiums and plan changes in late September or early October. Open Season for 2027 coverage runs November 9 through December 14, 2026, with elections effective in the first full pay period of 2027 for employees and January 1, 2027 for annuitants.
How much did FEHB premiums rise for 2026?
The average total premium rose 12.3 percent, one of the largest increases in the program’s history. Enrollee shares varied widely by plan, and the government contribution formula means a plan whose total premium rises faster than the program average passes more of the increase to the enrollee.
What is new for Open Season this year?
Verification. Since July 1, 2026, you must provide documentation proving eligibility for any family member you add to an enrollment, including during Open Season. Marriage certificates, birth certificates, and in some cases a second proof of a current relationship are required, and an addition without documentation will not be processed.