Government / Regulation
Federal benefits enrollment opens Monday with higher average health premiums
Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs Nov. 9-Dec. 14. OPM says health-premium averages are rising and new family enrollments require eligibility documents.
Status: source-checked.
Federal employees and other eligible participants can begin choosing their 2027 health, dental and vision coverage Monday, Nov. 9, when the federal benefits open season starts. The enrollment window runs through Dec. 14, with higher average health premiums and new documentation requirements for family members, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
The period covers the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits programs, along with federal dental and vision insurance. Active employees can also enroll or reenroll in the federal flexible spending account program. OPM says the health programs provide benefits to about 7.9 million employees, annuitants and eligible family members, including certain tribal employees.
For the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, OPM reports a 9.3% average increase in total premiums and a 10.9% average increase in the enrollee share. The corresponding averages for postal health coverage are 6.7% and 8.2%. Those are program averages, not the increase every participant will pay; OPM advises enrollees to check their own plan’s premiums, coverage and quality information.
Participants adding a family member to federal or postal health coverage during this open season must submit supporting documents so eligibility can be verified. OPM says the requirement follows the FEHB Protection Act of 2025 and applies beginning with enrollment for the 2027 plan year.
Health, dental and vision coverage generally continues automatically unless participants make a change, but flexible spending accounts require annual reenrollment. There are also exceptions for discontinued health plans: OPM’s guide lists terminating options whose members will be placed in designated default coverage if they do not choose another plan.
OPM lists 118 federal employee health plan options from 45 carriers and 65 postal health plan options from 17 carriers for 2027. Dental and vision coverage includes 31 options from 11 dental and five vision carriers. The agency directs participants to plan brochures and comparison resources rather than relying on premium averages alone.
The coverage dates differ by program and participant category. The guide lists Jan. 10 for enrollment changes by nonpostal federal employees and Jan. 1 for postal participants and annuitants. Dental and vision enrollment during open season, and flexible spending account elections, take effect Jan. 1.
What we know / what we don't
What we know
- Federal employees and other eligible participants can begin choosing their 2027 health, dental and vision coverage Monday, Nov. 9, when the federal benefits open season starts. The enrollment window runs through Dec. 14, with higher average health premiums and new documentation requirements for family members, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
What we don't know
- Preview of an upcoming Nov. 9 event; source guide has no visible publication date. Do not describe guide as newly released today.
- Program averages attributed to OPM; no individual plan comparison, premium calculation or benefit eligibility determination performed.
- No employee, union or insurer response solicited; this is a practical agency-calendar and enrollment-rules report, not a balanced assessment of policy outcomes.
The source record