The enrollee share of Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) premiums rises an average of 10.9% in 2027, according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). That is the third straight double-digit increase. The pay side of the ledger looks very different: the President’s alternative pay plan proposes no increase in General Schedule (GS) base or locality pay for most civilian employees in 2027.
The freeze is a proposal, not law. If it holds, every dollar of the premium increase comes straight out of take-home pay. This article puts the 2027 premium changes in dollars per paycheck for Self Only, Self Plus One, and Self and Family, then compares five years of premium increases with five years of pay raises.
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Where the 2027 pay raise stands
The administration’s alternative pay plan calls for 0% in 2027, which would leave 2026 GS rates in place. As of the latest update on the GS pay scale page, the official 2027 salary schedules have not been issued, and the freeze remains a proposal.
Some law enforcement employees would be treated differently. The plan calls for a 3.8% increase for qualifying law enforcement personnel through OPM’s special salary rate authority, and which positions qualify depends on how OPM implements it.
Congress can change the outcome. A bipartisan group of 110 lawmakers has urged Congress to reject the freeze, and December’s government funding deadline is seen as the best remaining opportunity to do it. Congress has overridden a presidential pay freeze only twice in recent history, in 2008 and 2019. This article will be updated if the status changes. The 2027 federal pay freeze page tracks the latest developments.
What the 2027 increase costs per paycheck
The table shows the change in the enrollee’s biweekly premium from 2026 to 2027 for two reference points. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) Service Benefit Plan Standard Option is the largest FEHB plan. The median is the middle plan among the 117 FEHB plan options that existed in both years, counted equally rather than by enrollment. The yearly figures multiply the biweekly change by 26 pay periods.
| Enrollment type | BCBS Standard 2027 biweekly premium | BCBS Standard increase per paycheck | BCBS Standard increase per year | Median plan increase per paycheck | Median plan increase per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self Only | $204.65 | +$16.33 | +$425 | +$6.49 | +$169 |
| Self Plus One | $449.89 | +$39.01 | +$1,014 | +$16.28 | +$423 |
| Self and Family | $496.90 | +$39.24 | +$1,020 | +$14.70 | +$382 |
Individual plans moved by very different amounts. The Government Employees Health Association (GEHA) high deductible health plan (HDHP) and GEHA Standard Option are unchanged at $0, while Mail Handlers Benefit Plan (MHBP) Standard Option Self Plus One rises $226.65 per paycheck. The FEHB premium rates page has the full plan-by-plan numbers, so readers can find their own plan.
Premiums vs. a paycheck: three scenarios
To see the effect on take-home pay, consider an employee earning $100,000 a year, which is $3,846 per biweekly paycheck. This is an illustration, not an average. The table shows the change in gross pay per paycheck after the BCBS Standard Option premium increase under three pay scenarios: the proposed freeze, a 1% raise ($38.46 per paycheck), and a 2% raise ($76.92 per paycheck).
| BCBS Standard Option | Premium increase per paycheck | Freeze (0%) | 1% raise | 2% raise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self Only | $16.33 | -$16.33 | +$22.13 | +$60.59 |
| Self Plus One | $39.01 | -$39.01 | -$0.55 | +$37.91 |
| Self and Family | $39.24 | -$39.24 | -$0.78 | +$37.68 |
Under a freeze, the premium increase is a pure loss. Even a 1% raise would be consumed by the Self Plus One and Self and Family increases in this plan. The comparison is simplified: raises are taxable, while FEHB premiums are usually paid with pre-tax dollars through premium conversion, so the effect on net take-home pay is somewhat smaller than the gross figures suggest.
Five years of premiums vs. five years of raises
Each year’s increase builds on the last. The table compares OPM’s average increase in the enrollee’s share of FEHB premiums with the average raise federal employees received each January, from OPM’s annual pay adjustment memos. Raises are the overall average, which combines the across-the-board increase with locality pay.
| Year | Average premium increase (enrollee share) | Cumulative premium increase | Average pay raise | Cumulative pay raise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 8.7% | 8.7% | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| 2024 | 7.7% | 17.1% | 5.2% | 10.0% |
| 2025 | 13.5% | 32.9% | 2.0% | 12.2% |
| 2026 | 12.3% | 49.2% | 1.0% | 13.4% |
| 2027 | 10.9% | 65.5% | 0.0% (proposed) | 13.4% |
Premiums compound to 65.5% over five years, while pay compounds to about 13.4% if the 2027 freeze goes ahead. The pay figures come from OPM’s memos on the January 2023, January 2024, and January 2025 pay adjustments, and the 2026 figure comes from OPM’s January 2026 memo, which set a 1.0% across-the-board increase with locality payments unchanged.
These are not apples to apples. The premium percentages apply to the enrollee’s share of the premium, which is a fraction of total pay, and the raise percentages apply to the whole paycheck. That is why the dollar comparison above matters more than the percentages. The cumulative figures also apply average changes in sequence, so an individual’s total depends on the plan chosen each year and on the locality where the employee works.
What federal employees can do before open season
Open season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026, and the FEHB open season page has the dates and deadlines. Premium changes vary widely by plan, and about 20 of the 117 plans that existed in both years cost less in 2027. The FEHB plan comparison tools page covers the tools and brochures OPM expects to release in early November.
Two checks are worth making. First, compare the 2027 premium for the current plan with the alternatives, because premium is not total cost and out-of-pocket expenses and coverage differ. Second, check whether Self Plus One costs more than Self and Family in the plan, which happens in 39 FEHB plan options. Employees covering one family member can elect either enrollment type.
Retirees face a different comparison
Federal annuitants pay FEHB premiums monthly out of the annuity, and their raise comes from the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) rather than a pay raise. The COLA Watch page tracks the 2027 COLA.