En esta noticia
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), a federal agency in Donald Trump’s administration, confirmed that federal employees and eligible retirees will have until Dec. 14, 2026 to change, enroll in, or cancel their health insurance and other coverage for 2027.
During these weeks, beneficiaries will be able to make changes in three programs: the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB), the Postal Service Health Benefits Program (PSHB) and the Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP).
The agency also reminded workers who meet the requirements that they can enroll in the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS), an option that lets them set aside pretax money for certain medical expenses.
How long federal employees can change health insurance
The official schedule states that open enrollment began Nov. 9 and will end Monday, Dec. 14, 2026. Until then, federal workers and eligible retirees can compare options and decide whether to keep their current benefits or choose other options for next year.
The deadline has one twist: the closing time depends on the program.
- FEHB and PSHB: the deadline is 11:59 p.m., based on the local time of the online enrollment system.
- FEDVIP and FSAFEDS: enrollment ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).
What insurance and benefits federal employees can change
The open enrollment includes different medical coverage options and supplemental benefits. Each program has its own features and is aimed at certain groups of workers and beneficiaries. The main coverages they can review are:
- FEHB: offers health insurance to eligible federal employees and other beneficiaries who meet the program requirements.
- PSHB: provides health coverage to eligible U.S. Postal Service employees and retirees and their qualifying family members.
- FEDVIP: lets participants buy dental and vision insurance through different participating insurers.
- FSAFEDS: offers flexible spending accounts to use pretax funds for certain health care expenses.
For 2027, the FEHB program will offer 118 plan options from 45 insurers. In the case of PSHB, 65 options from 17 companies will be available. Meanwhile, FEDVIP will include 21 dental insurance options from 11 insurers and 10 vision coverage options offered by five companies.
What happens if federal employees do not change their health insurance before Dec. 14
Those who are satisfied with their current coverage do not need to make any changes to stay in the programs next year. However, there is an important difference for those who use FSAFEDS: participants must make a new election each year if they want to keep this benefit. In other words, simply keeping enrollment open is not enough.
What changes will there be in benefits in 2027
One of OPM’s standout announcements is the addition of a FSAFEDS Visa card for certain eligible medical expenses. Participants will be able to choose the option to pay authorized expenses directly at the point of sale for health care, pharmacy, dental and vision. They will also be able to keep using the electronic reimbursement system.
On the other hand, OPM noted that, for the second year in a row, it managed to slow the average growth of federal insurance premiums.