Why can one Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plan raise its total premium 43% while the enrollee share rises 84%, and another cut its total premium 12% while the enrollee share drops 42%? Worked examples from the Office of Personnel Management’s 2027 files show how the government contribution formula drives the swings. Here is what to know before open season starts Nov. 9, including what a big drop in your share does (and does not) mean if you are thinking about switching plans
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Medicare Open Enrollment 2026: How It Affects Federal Retirees in FEHB
Medicare open enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, and changes take effect January 1, 2027. For federal retirees with Original Medicare and Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage, the choices go beyond picking a plan. Enrolling in a private Medicare Advantage plan means suspending FEHB coverage and paying the full premium without the 72 to 75 percent government contribution. FEHB-sponsored Medicare Advantage plans and Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs) offer alternatives, and creditable FEHB drug coverage means many retirees can skip Medicare Part D without a penalty. Ed Zurndorfer covers what can change during open enrollment and what to check first.
The Biggest Medicare Mistakes That Can Cost Federal Retirees
Missing enrollment deadlines, delaying enrollment, and choosing the wrong type of Medicare can potentially cost a federal retiree a lot of money. Ed Zurndorfer provides an updated outline of the most common mistakes federal retirees should avoid when enrolling in Medicare
Should You Keep Your FEHB Plan for 2027? Take This 3-Step Test
The 10.9% average increase in 2027 Federal Employees Health Benefits premiums hides a wide range: about one plan in six costs less, roughly one in three rose by more than 10.9%, and one nationwide plan’s Self Plus One rate roughly doubled. Take this three-step keep-or-change test to see where your plan’s increase falls and what it means in dollars per year, then use the open season checklist to decide
FEHB Premiums Rise 10.9% on Average in 2027, But 20 Plans Cost Less
The Office of Personnel Management announced the average FEHB enrollee share rises 10.9% for 2027, but not every plan follows the average. Of the 117 FEHB plan options with rates in both 2026 and 2027, 20 cost less at Self Only, 22 at Self Plus One and 21 at Self and Family. This breakdown lists the plans that got cheaper, the ones hit hardest, what switching could save per year — plus the plans leaving the program.
The 2027 FEHB Squeeze: Premiums Rise While Pay Stalls?
Federal Employees Health Benefits premiums rise an average of 10.9% in 2027, while the President’s alternative pay plan proposes no increase in General Schedule base or locality pay. This guide shows the squeeze in dollars per paycheck for Self Only, Self Plus One, and Self and Family, tests it against 1% and 2% raise scenarios, and compares five years of compounded premium increases (65.5%) with five years of average pay raises (about 13.4%).
Is Fraud Driving Your 2027 FEHB Premium Increase? What OPM’s Numbers Reveal
The Office of Personnel management annoucned it found more than $500 million in anti-fraud savings across the FEHB and PSHB programs in 2025. Set against roughly $80 billion in annual spending and a 10.9 percent average premium increase for 2027, the numbers tell a more measured story. Here’s what OPM reported, what its own rule estimates about ineligible family members, and a short checklist for you to run before open season this year.
2026 Federal Benefits Open Season Options Announced by OPM
The Office of Personnel Management announced the 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season, for coverage that begins in the 2027 plan year. This guide covers the key dates, when FEHB and PSHB changes take effect, the FEHB plans leaving the program, new family-member eligibility documentation, and 2027 benefit changes.
2027 FEHB Premiums: Plan-by-Plan Changes (PSHB included)
Federal health insurance premiums are rising again for 2027, and for the third year in a row the average increase is in double digits. That average hides a wide spread, though. Some plans barely moved, a handful got less expensive, and a few nationwide plans jumped far more than the rest. This guide includes the rate tables, the government contribution caps, PSHB rates, and the plans where Self Only costs more than Self and Family.
How Life Insurance Death Benefits Are Taxed (and When They Aren’t)
Life insurance death proceeds are usually income tax-free, but the rules around the Federal Employees Life Insurance (FEGLI) coverage over $50,000, premium deductibility, and settlement option interest are easy to get wrong. Ed Zurndofer outlines how the IRS defines “life insurance” for tax purposes, when premiums can be deducted, and how employer-paid FEGLI coverage above $50,000 becomes a taxable fringe benefit — including a step-by-step example using the IRS cost table.