FEHB Open Season for Federal Retirees and Annuitants
A deadline set at 11:59 pm sounds exact. For the 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season, which minute counts depends on which program an annuitant is looking at. OPM gives one closing time for health plans and another for dental, vision, and flexible spending accounts.
Open Season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) runs November 9 through December 14, 2026. An annuitant who does nothing keeps the present health insurance plan, unless that plan is dropping out of the FEHB or reducing its service area. The plan’s benefits, premiums, or coverage options may still change.
The Dates and the Deadline Times
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) states that the Federal Benefits Open Season is November 9 – December 14, 2026.
Then OPM gives two closing times. The first covers the FEHB and the Postal Service Health Benefits Program (PSHB). For those two, Open Season ends on Monday, December 14, 2026, at 11:59 pm, per the location of the electronic enrollment system.
The second covers the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS). There, Open Season ends at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Monday, December 14, 2026.
| Topic | What OPM states |
|---|---|
| Open Season dates | November 9 - December 14, 2026 |
| FEHB and PSHB deadline | 11:59 pm, per the location of the electronic enrollment system, Monday, December 14, 2026 |
| FEDVIP deadline | 11:59 pm Eastern Time, Monday, December 14, 2026 |
| FSAFEDS | Annuitants are not eligible |
| Health plan, if nothing is done | Coverage continues under the present plan, unless the plan is dropping out of the FEHB or reducing its service area |
| Dental and vision plan, if nothing is done | Coverage continues under the present plan; benefits and/or premiums may change |
| An enrollee adding a family member | Verification of the family member’s eligibility |
| Open Season Online | A Login.gov account |
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management
When an Annuitant Does Nothing
Most FEHB plans will see benefit and rate changes for the upcoming year, OPM states. Some plans are dropping out of the program. Others are changing their service areas or coverage options.
Doing nothing is still a choice with a result. An annuitant who sits out Open Season continues to be covered by the present health insurance plan, unless that plan is dropping out of the FEHB or reducing its service area.
Even then, the plan’s benefits, premiums, or coverage options may change. The enrollment carries forward. The terms attached to it may not stay the same.
The same pattern holds on the dental and vision side. An annuitant who does nothing continues to be covered by the present dental and/or vision insurance plan, and benefits and/or premiums may change.
Annuitants are not eligible for FSAFEDS.
Benefits are described in the individual plan brochures, and the FEHB health plan brochures are available online. Choosing a state on OPM’s map brings up three charts with all the available plans for that state and links to their brochures.
For additional assistance, OPM lists the Retirement Information Office at 1-888-767-6738. OPM also lists Retirement Services at retire@opm.gov.
Adding a Family Member During Open Season
One rule is new. OPM states that the FEHB Protection Act of 2025 was signed July 4, 2025.
The Act requires verification of a family member’s eligibility when an enrollee wants to add that family member to a plan during Open Season. OPM describes this as a new eligibility verification requirement. It is in addition to existing eligibility verification for the Initial Opportunity to Enroll and for Qualifying Life Events.
Family Member Eligibility Verification is OPM’s required process for ensuring that only eligible family members are enrolled in FEHB and PSHB health plans. The process involves documentation proving eligibility.
OPM also addresses enrollment types. In some cases the enrollee share of Self Plus One premiums will be higher than the share for Self and Family. Enrollees who wish to cover one eligible family member are free to elect either the Self and Family or Self Plus One enrollment type.
FEHB and Medicare for Annuitants
Some FEHB plans offer reimbursement for Part B premiums, OPM states. An FEHB plan may waive its copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles for services covered by Part B.
An annuitant enrolled in an FEHB HMO may go outside the HMO network for Part B services. The annuitant may then receive reimbursement by Medicare for services from a provider who accepts Medicare.
Some services covered by Part B might not be covered, or are only partially covered, by an FEHB plan. Examples include orthopedic and prosthetic devices, durable medical equipment, home health care, and medical supplies.
Timing has a price. According to OPM, an annuitant who does not enroll in Part B during the initial enrollment period must wait for the next opportunity to enroll, and there may be a gap in time before Medicare coverage begins.
If an annuitant waits 12 months or more after first becoming eligible, the Part B premium goes up. It rises 10 percent for each 12 months that the annuitant could have had Part B but didn’t take it. That late enrollment penalty is paid for as long as the person has Part B.
In one of OPM’s examples, a retiree did not enroll in Part B when first eligible. FEHB coverage met the retiree’s healthcare needs, and paying an additional premium didn’t make financial sense.
Over the years, those healthcare needs increased. In that example, the retiree can enroll in Medicare in the next general enrollment period. The retiree will likely have to pay a monthly Part B late enrollment penalty.
Part D is a different story. FEHB provides creditable drug coverage. As long as an annuitant has FEHB coverage, the annuitant will not have to pay a late enrollment penalty for deferring enrollment in Part D.
The money moves on separate tracks. FEHB premiums continue to be deducted from the annuity, and Part B premiums are deducted from Social Security retirement benefits.
An annuitant not getting those benefits can elect to have Part B premiums deducted from the federal annuity. If that isn’t an option, the annuitant is billed directly.
Another of OPM’s examples shows how the two programs sit together. In it, a retiree has FEHB and Medicare. A spouse is covered under the retiree’s FEHB but is not yet eligible for Medicare.
In that example, Medicare is the retiree’s primary coverage and FEHB is secondary. FEHB continues to be primary for the spouse.
These trade-offs turn on one household’s own plan, costs, and health needs. A qualified benefits counselor or Medicare advisor can weigh those details against the plan brochure.
Signing In to Open Season Online
Access to Open Season Online requires a Login.gov account, which OPM describes as the Government’s secure login tool.
Those credentials are used to sign in to Open Season Online once the Open Season period has begun. Someone who already has a Login.gov account does not need to create a second one.
For problems with Login.gov, OPM gives the number (844) 875-6446. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Open Season has one start date and two closing times. An annuitant who does nothing keeps the present plan, unless it is dropping out of the FEHB or reducing its service area. Its benefits, premiums, or coverage options may still change.
This article is general information, not professional advice. For decisions about your money or health, consult a qualified professional.