Open Season for 2027 federal health coverage runs from Nov. 9 to Dec. 14, 2026, and the Office of Personnel Management has already published what the government will pay. For a Self Only enrollee, the maximum government contribution is $762.75 a month, or $352.04 every two weeks. The same OPM table applies those maximums to most employees and annuitants, so a federal retiree on a Self Only plan works from the same ceiling.
The ceiling is not the amount every enrollee receives, and it is not a bill. It caps the government’s share of the premium, and the enrollee pays everything above it. A retiree who stays in the same plan, switches plans or moves between Self Only, Self Plus One and Self and Family coverage will see a different split, which is why the figures matter before the Dec. 14 close.
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$762.75, $1,662.98 and $1,828.28 a month by coverage type
OPM’s 2027 premiums page lists the maximum government contribution for each type of enrollment, in biweekly and monthly amounts.
- Self Only: $352.04 biweekly, $762.75 monthly
- Self Plus One: $767.53 biweekly, $1,662.98 monthly
- Self and Family: $843.82 biweekly, $1,828.28 monthly
These are maximums. A plan that costs less than the ceiling does not receive the full amount, and the title figure of $352.04 applies to Self Only coverage alone.
Where the 72% figure comes from
The same page states that the maximum is 72% of the program-wide weighted average premium. That average is $488.95 biweekly or $1,059.39 monthly for Self Only, $1,066.02 or $2,309.71 for Self Plus One, and $1,171.97 or $2,539.27 for Self and Family. Seventy-two percent of the Self Only monthly average is the $762.75 ceiling.
On a plan priced exactly at the average, the enrollee pays the difference, which works out to $296.64 a month for Self Only. The page does not explain how the average is weighted, and it publishes no separate retiree amounts.
A second limit: 75% of the plan’s own premium
OPM’s Open Season highlights for plan year 2027 describes a second test. The government’s share is the lesser of 72% of the weighted average premium for the enrollment type, or 75% of the total premium of the plan the enrollee picks. A low-cost plan can therefore hit the 75% limit before it reaches the dollar ceiling.
The same document reports the 2027 changes in percentages. The overall average premium rises 9.3%, the average enrollee share rises 10.9% and the government contribution rises 8.6%. The enrollee share climbs faster than the government share, so the retiree-paid portion grows.
The gap grows with Self Plus One and Family coverage
The same subtraction on the larger tiers gives a bigger enrollee share. A plan priced at the Self Plus One average of $2,309.71 a month leaves $646.73 above the $1,662.98 ceiling, and a Self and Family plan at $2,539.27 leaves $710.99 above $1,828.28. These are arithmetic from OPM’s published averages, not figures OPM itself states for any plan.
OPM’s premiums page also notes that for some plans the Self Plus One enrollee share is higher than the Self and Family share, and it links a spreadsheet naming them. The page links full rate charts for HMO and fee-for-service plans too, including rates for temporary continuation of coverage and former spouses.
Open Season runs Nov. 9 through Dec. 14
OPM’s Open Season page sets the window at Nov. 9 to Dec. 14, 2026. FEHB and PSHB enrollment closes at 11:59 p.m. local time for the electronic enrollment system on Dec. 14, and the dental, vision and flexible spending enrollments in FEDVIP and FSAFEDS close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time that day.
The highlights document points annuitants to OPM.gov, the Postal Service Health Benefits System for PSHB plans, their carrier or their agency benefits officer. It also names a plan comparison tool on OPM.gov for lining up benefits. OPM’s pages list no dollar increase for retirees specifically.
Does last year’s federal health plan still cost the least once the new split is applied?
A health premium is one of several costs that rise together in retirement, and the government’s cap does not move with a retiree’s own budget. A federal retiree comparing plans in November is also watching taxes, house costs and savings that earn little.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
