Federal employees, postal workers and retirees have until Monday, Nov. 16, to tell the Office of Personnel Management what they want from their health plan choices. The published request for information covers both federal employee and Postal Service health benefits. People choosing their 2027 coverage have a separate deadline. Open Season runs through Dec. 14.
OPM is asking for comments about future plan offerings. The notice makes no changes to 2027 benefits. Anyone shopping for coverage can use the rates and brochures already published for the coming year without waiting for the agency to act on the comments.
What OPM is asking
Current rules generally let a carrier offer three plan options, or two options plus a high-deductible health plan. For 2026, OPM counted 132 options across 47 carriers in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and 75 options across 17 carriers in the Postal Service Health Benefits Program. The choices available to one person depend on where they live and which plans they qualify for.
The agency is asking whether changing the number or types of options would affect premiums or the amount people pay for care. It also wants to know whether people can compare benefits easily and whether carriers should have room to offer more high-deductible plans that can be paired with health savings accounts.
A comment can explain how a particular choice works in practice. Two plans may charge similar premiums and cover different specialists or drugs. A lower-premium plan may carry a deductible that makes regular visits or prescriptions cost more over the year. If a plan you use is the only one in your area that includes a local hospital, that is a specific reason to keep it available. You can describe the trade-off without naming a patient or sharing a member number.
Where to comment and where to enroll
To comment, open Regulations.gov and search for docket OPM-2026-0661 or Federal Register document 2026-18944. OPM says comments must arrive on or before Nov. 16. The notice says submissions generally become public as received, so leave personal or medical information out.
To choose 2027 coverage, federal employees and retirees can start with OPM’s plan comparison tool. Postal employees and annuitants can use OPM’s Postal Service Health Benefits pages. Look at the brochure for your plan year and check its provider directory before switching. Edit USA’s Open Season guide covers the Dec. 14 deadline and the 2027 rates.
