Benefits Open Season about to Start Despite Shutdown

For 2026, the FEHB program has 47 participating carriers offering a total of 132 plan options. The PSHB program has 17 participating carriers offering a total of 75 plan options. Image: The Image Party/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek Staff

The annual federal benefits open season runs from next Monday (November 10) through December 8, with plan dropouts, premium increases and coverage changes in both the FEHB and PSHB programs.

The open season provides an opportunity for current enrollees to change health insurance plans; change levels of coverage, for plans that have more than one; and change among self-only, family and self plus one options. Eligible employees who are not currently enrolled further can enroll, although retirees generally cannot newly join unless they are working as reemployed annuitants.

Note: OPM guidance states that enrollments and coverage changes can be made even during a funding lapse.

For 2026, the FEHB program has 47 participating carriers offering a total of 132 plan options. The PSHB program has 17 participating carriers offering a total of 75 plan options. Information and links to enrollment sites are here for the FEHB and here for the PSHB.

Six plans (eight options) are dropping out of the FEHB:

NALC Health Benefit Plan CDHP;
NALC Health Benefit Plan Standard;
Health Alliance HMO Standard;
AvMed Health Plan HDHP;
AvMed Health Plan Standard;
Independent Health High;
Blue Care Network of Michigan High; and
Priority Health High.

In the PSHB, the GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan Elevate Plus and GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan Elevate dropped out.

If an enrollee affected by a dropout makes no new election, agencies (or OPM, in the case of retirees) are to automatically enroll them in the lowest cost nationwide plan available—the GEHA Benefit Plan-High Option in the FEHB, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan – FEP Blue Focus in the PSHB.

The open season also applies to the FEDVIP vision-dental insurance program, where average premiums for dental plans are increasing by 3.4 percent and average premiums for vision plans are increasing by 0.5 percent. The Health Partners Dental Plan is dropping out, leaving 11 dental carriers offering 21 plan options (there remain five vision carriers offering 10 plan options).

Its enrollees must select one of the continuing dental plans to maintain coverage in 2026 since there is no default plan for dropouts from the FEDVIP program.

In FEHB, PSHB and FEDVIP, current coverage continues—as long as the plan remains in the program—if the enrollee makes no change during open season. However, a new enrollment is required each year in the FSAFEDS flexible spending account program for a dependent care account, a health care account, or both.

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