The 2027 FEHB Plan Cost Explorer is a free tool (launching soon) that shows what every Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plan available at a ZIP code costs for 2027. For each plan it shows the premium, the change from 2026, the annual total, how much of the premium the government pays, the annual deductible, and the most a year of in-network care could cost.
It is built as a companion resource to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) plan comparison tool and to add the cost view that a simple plan list does not provide.
Get notified when the 2027 FEHB Plan Cost Explorer becomes available (free)
While the OPM comparison tool (above) displays a list of the premiums for each FEHB plan, our new free 2027 FEHB Plan Cost Explorer will show:
- every FEHB plan available to you with the 2027 premium
- the dollar and percent change from 2026
- the annual cost
- how much of the premium the government pays
- and a worst-case year that adds the out-of-pocket maximum
It’s a free companion to OPM’s resource, and will be released before Open Season (Nov. 9). Click here to get an email alert the day this new tool is available.
Why an analysis of your FEHB costs needs more than just a list of FEHB premiums
Some FEHB plan premiums rise more than others, and some cost less than they did in 2026. A household that stays in its current plan without checking can end up paying noticeably more over a year than it would in a plan whose premium moved the other way. The premium alone also leaves out the other half of the cost question: the most a plan can ask an enrollee to pay for covered in-network care in a year, called the out-of-pocket maximum. A plan with the lowest premium sometimes has one of the highest maximums.
OPM publishes the 2027 rates as spreadsheets, and the amount an enrollee pays depends on ZIP code, enrollee type, pay period, and enrollment type. That makes the full picture hard to assemble by hand during Open Season. The explorer is built to do that assembly and show it in one sortable table.
What the 2027 FEHB Plan Cost Explorer will show
- Every plan available at a ZIP code, including nationwide plans and local plans whose service area covers it, with overseas and military addresses handled
- The 2027 amount the enrollee pays, per pay period for active employees or per month for annuitants
- The change from 2026 in dollars and as a percentage, with the annual dollar effect over 26 pay periods or 12 months
- Plan options that cost less in 2027 than in 2026, flagged
- The government share of the total premium in dollars and as a percentage, with plans at the 75% maximum marked
- The annual deductible and the annual out-of-pocket maximum for the enrollment type selected
- A worst-case year, which adds the annual premium to the out-of-pocket maximum
- Your current 2026 plan, so every other plan at your ZIP code can be compared with it in annual dollars
- Plan options that are not offered in 2027, listed separately
How the 2027 FEHB Plan Cost Explorer differs from with OPM’s plan comparison tool
OPM’s tool and the explorer answer different questions. OPM’s 2027 results page lists each plan’s enrollee premium, annual deductible, annual out-of-pocket maximum, and medical account, and it lets users select up to three plans to compare. The explorer is built around cost across the whole list. Many households will want both: the cost picture first, then the details for a short list.
| Question | 2027 FEHB Plan Cost Explorer | OPM 2027 plan comparison tool |
|---|---|---|
| Plans available at a ZIP code | Yes, including overseas and military addresses | Yes, by ZIP code or an overseas option |
| What the enrollee pays in 2027 | Yes, per pay period or per month, plus annual dollars | Yes, enrollee premium for the pay period selected |
| Change from 2026 in dollars and percent | Yes, for every plan | Not shown on the results page |
| Plans that cost less than 2026 | Flagged | Not shown on the results page |
| Government share of the premium | Dollars and percent, with plans at the 75% maximum marked | Not shown on the results page |
| Annual deductible | Yes, in-network amount; marked Not listed where OPM’s file has none | Yes, sortable and filterable |
| Annual out-of-pocket maximum | Yes | Yes, sortable and filterable |
| Annual premium plus out-of-pocket maximum | Worst-case year, sortable | Premium, deductible, and out-of-pocket maximum are shown side by side, not added together |
| Medical account (HSA or HRA) | Contribution noted, not subtracted | Yes, shown for each plan |
| Cost against your current plan | Annual difference for every plan at the ZIP code | A current plan can be added to the comparison |
| Select plans to compare in more detail | Not offered; sort and search the full list | Yes, up to three plans |
| Enrollee categories | Active employees and annuitants | Also covers categories such as former spouse, Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC), and tribal employee enrollees |
| Official status | Reference tool built from OPM data | Not the official statement of benefits; brochures are |
The OPM column describes OPM’s 2027 plan comparison tool as its results page appeared on October 27, 2026. Check OPM’s page for later changes.
Where the numbers come from
- Premiums, including the 2026 amounts used for the change, come from OPM’s 2027 FEHB premium rate files, which list both years. The enrollee share is the figure OPM publishes for regular (non-Postal) enrollees, before any tax savings from premium conversion.
- Deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums come from OPM’s 2027 plan benefits file, using the in-network amounts for each enrollment type. Where the file lists no deductible for a plan, the explorer will say Not listed, which does not mean the deductible is zero.
- Plans are matched to a ZIP code through the county and ZIP code service areas in OPM’s service area file. A ZIP code that crosses a county line can differ from the list, so confirm availability with the plan.
- The government share is the total premium minus the enrollee share. By OPM’s description, the government pays the smaller of 72% of the program-wide weighted average premium or 75% of the plan’s total premium, as explained on OPM’s cost of insurance page. Plans priced well above average get a smaller government share.
- Annual figures multiply the pay-period amount by 26 for active employees or the monthly amount by 12 for annuitants.
- The worst-case year is the annual premium plus the in-network out-of-pocket maximum. It is the most an enrollee would pay for covered in-network care in a year, not a prediction. Premiums, out-of-network care, and services the plan does not cover are not part of the out-of-pocket maximum.
What the FEHB Plan Cost Explorer does not do
- It does not recommend a plan. It reports costs from OPM’s published data so each household can weigh them.
- It does not cover copayments, coinsurance, drug coverage, or which doctors are in a plan’s network. The plan brochure is the official statement of benefits.
- It does not include Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program rates, which are on the OPM PSHB premiums page, or Temporary Continuation of Coverage, former spouse, and tribal enrollee rates, which differ from the rates shown.
- It does not subtract health savings account (HSA) or health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) contributions from a plan’s cost. It notes the contribution so the figure can be weighed.
Who the FEHB Plan Cost Explorer is for
The explorer is built for active federal employees and annuitants choosing a plan during Open Season, and for anyone who wants to see how much their current plan’s cost changed for 2027. It is also useful for a household deciding between enrollment types, because the enrollment type selector changes every figure in the table at once.
Questions about the 2027 FEHB Plan Cost Explorer
- When does it launch? It is launching soon, ahead of Open Season. Sign up to get notified the day it is live.
- Does it replace OPM’s plan comparison tool? No. OPM’s tool compares plan details, and the explorer adds the cost view. Many households will use both.
- Is it free? Yes.
- Does it store my ZIP code or any personal information? The explorer is a lookup against OPM’s published data and does not save what you enter.
- Where do I confirm benefits before enrolling? In each plan’s brochure, which OPM publishes as the official statement of benefits.
Related FEHB resources
See the 2027 FEHB plan comparison page for OPM’s tool and how to use it, the plan-by-plan changes for 2027 to see which plans changed, the 2027 FEHB premium rates for the full rate tables, and the FEHB Open Season dates for the enrollment window.