Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights for the 2026 Plan Year

Key 2026 FEHB, PSHB, FEDVIP and FSAFEDS Changes

FEHB and PSHB (Health Insurance):

• Removed coverage for medical or surgical modification of sex traits, including gender transition procedures for all ages.
• Required coverage for FDA-approved HIV Prep drugs and related monitoring, with no cost sharing.
• Behavioral health access continues to expand; carriers must broaden networks and allow out-of-network care when waiting times are excessive.
• Opioid safety: carriers must continue to provide at least one opioid rescue agent, at no cost, with expanded education on usage, or
• Anti-obesity care: carriers must continue to cover FDA-approved medications, including at least one GLP-1 and two oral options, plus behavioral and nutritional programs.

FEDVIP (Dental Insurance and Vision Insurance):

• • Dental insurance carriers must now offer two routine exams and one emergency exam per year.
  • Several carriers have added preventive benefits for children under three and pregnancy wellness coverage, or
  • One vision insurance carrier expanded to 100 percent diabetic coverage in-network, while another added coverage for orthoptic training for eye-movement disorders.

FSAFEDS (Flexible Spending Accounts including HCFSA and DCFSA):

• Allows eligible federal employees and eligible uniformed service members to save pre-tax funds for qualified health care and dependent care expenses.
• Program is sponsored by OPM and governed by IRS rules.
• HCFSA contributions and DCFSA contributions are deducted from an employee’s gross salary before all taxes, including federal and state income taxes, and Social Security (FICA) and Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance Tax) payroll taxes.
• Maximum contributions to HCFSA during 2026 increases to $3,400, an increase from $3,300 during 2025, and
• Maximum contributions to DCFSA during 2026 increases to $7,500, an increase from $5,000 during 2025.

Plan Offerings for 2026

Under both the FEHB and PSHB programs, participants can choose from a broad variety of plan types including – Fee-for-Service plans, Health Maintenance Organizations, Consumer-Driven Health Plans and High-Deductible Health Plans.

For 2026, OPM will offer:

• 47 insurance carriers and 132 plan options in FEHB.
• 17 insurance carriers and 75 plan options in PSHB, and
• Fewer than a dozen dental and vision insurance carriers through FEDVIP.

There are six FEHB plans (eight options) that will not be available in 2026: (1) NALC Health Benefit Plan (CDHP); (2) NALC Health Benefit Plan Standard; (3) Health Alliance HMO Standard; (4) AV Med Health Plan HDHP; (5) AV MED Health Plan Standard; (6) Independent Health High; (7) Blue Care Network of Michigan High; and (8) Priority Health High.

There is one PSHB plan (two options) that will not be available in 2026: (1) GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan Elevate Plus; and (2) GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan Elevate.

Participants in those plans must select a new plan during Open Season, or they will be automatically transitioned into a designated default plan as presented here:

• FEHB default plan is GEHA Benefit Plan High Option.
• PSHB default plan is Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan – FEP Blue Focus, and
• FEDVIP’s Health Partners Dental Plan will no longer be offered. Enrollees must select a new dental plan in order to maintain coverage in the 2026 plan year.