There is no single FEHB premium. There are 132 plan options in 2026, each with three enrollment types, and regional plans price differently by state. Every dollar figure on this page was pulled from OPM’s own 2026 rate tables on September 6, 2026, not from a summary of them.
All of the enrollee figures below are the non-postal, non-annuitant rate, which is also the rate annuitants pay. Postal workers now price under the separate PSHB program.
How Much FEHB Went Up for 2026
OPM’s Open Season Highlights for the 2026 plan year publishes three separate percentages, and the gap between them is the story.
| 2026 FEHB rate change | Amount | 2025 comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Overall average premium increase | 10.2% | Down from 11.2% |
| Average enrollee share increase | 12.3% | Down from 13.5% |
| Government contribution increase | 9.2% | Down from 10.1% |
The enrollee share rises faster than the total premium every year that premiums grow faster than the government’s formula allows. OPM named three drivers: rising provider and supplier costs, heavier prescription drug use with GLP-1 and specialty medications called out specifically, and higher behavioral health spending as access expands.
For scale, OPM’s Highlights document notes the program covers roughly 8.2 million people and says the 2026 increases are in line with other very large purchasers such as CalPERS.
The Average Enrollee Share in 2026
OPM publishes both halves of the arithmetic on its premium page. The program-wide weighted average premium and the maximum government contribution are fixed program-wide numbers; the difference is what an average enrollee pays.
| Enrollment type | Weighted average premium | Government pays (max) | Average enrollee share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self Only, biweekly | $451.05 | $324.76 | $126.29 |
| Self Plus One, biweekly | $987.73 | $711.17 | $276.56 |
| Self and Family, biweekly | $1,080.60 | $778.03 | $302.57 |
| Self Only, monthly | $977.28 | $703.65 | $273.63 |
| Self Plus One, monthly | $2,140.08 | $1,540.87 | $599.21 |
| Self and Family, monthly | $2,341.30 | $1,685.73 | $655.57 |
Annualized, that is about $3,284 out of pocket for Self Only against a total cost of roughly $11,727, and about $7,867 out of pocket for Self and Family against roughly $28,096. For comparison, KFF’s 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey found private-sector workers contributing an average of $1,440 a year for single coverage and $6,850 for family coverage, on total premiums of $9,325 and $26,993.
FEHB coverage is more expensive in total than the private-sector average, and federal enrollees carry a larger share of single coverage than the private-sector norm. The family comparison is closer.
What Named Plans Actually Cost in 2026
These are enrollee shares, the number that comes out of your pay, from OPM’s 2026 fee-for-service and HMO rate tables.
| Plan and option | Enrollment code | Self Only, biweekly | Self Only, monthly | Self and Family, monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCBS FEP Blue Standard | 104 | $188.32 | $408.02 | $991.60 |
| BCBS FEP Blue Basic | 111 | $133.77 | $289.83 | $773.20 |
| BCBS FEP Blue Focus | 131 | $66.81 | $144.76 | $342.28 |
| GEHA Benefit Plan, High | 311 | $195.29 | $423.13 | $1,137.89 |
| GEHA Benefit Plan, Standard | 314 | $86.75 | $187.95 | $501.47 |
| GEHA HDHP | 341 | $81.62 | $176.84 | $467.19 |
| MHBP Value Plan | 414 | $67.80 | $146.89 | $355.00 |
| SAMBA Health Benefit Plan, High | 441 | $226.09 | $489.86 | $1,178.78 |
| Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic, High (DC) | E31 | $144.27 | $312.58 | $651.56 |
| Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic, Prosper (DC) | T71 | $57.83 | $125.30 | $352.52 |
| Aetna Advantage | Z24 | $61.43 | $133.10 | $352.71 |
HMO rates vary by state, so the two Kaiser rows are the District of Columbia figures and should not be read as national. The spread across the whole HMO table is enormous: Aetna Open Access High costs a New Jersey enrollee $882.47 biweekly for Self Only, while TakeCare HDHP costs a Guam enrollee $17.80.
Premium is only half the picture. A plan at $67 biweekly and a plan at $226 biweekly are not the same product, and the difference shows up in the deductible, the out-of-pocket maximum, and whether the plan uses copays or coinsurance.
Why the Same Premium Costs Two People Different Amounts
The government contribution follows a two-part rule in 5 U.S.C. 8906: 72% of the program-wide weighted average premium for your enrollment type, but never more than 75% of the premium of the plan you picked.
Watch it work on the two ends of the Blue Cross menu.
FEP Blue Standard Self Only has a total premium of $513.08 biweekly. That is above the weighted average, so the government pays its capped $324.76, which works out to 63% of this plan. The enrollee pays $188.32, or 37%.
FEP Blue Focus Self Only has a total premium of $267.26 biweekly. Below average, so the 75% ceiling binds: the government pays $200.45 and the enrollee pays $66.81, exactly a quarter.
The practical rule is that above-average plans hand you 100% of every extra premium dollar. Downgrading from Standard to Focus cuts the total premium by $245.82 biweekly but cuts your own payment by $121.51, because you were the only one funding the gap.
Self Plus One Can Cost More Than Self and Family
OPM flags this on its premium page and publishes a separate chart of affected plans each year. Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic High Option in the District of Columbia is a clean example: the total premium is identical at $1,078.75 biweekly for both Self Plus One and Self and Family, but the government’s maximum contribution is lower for Self Plus One ($711.17) than for Self and Family ($778.03). The enrollee therefore pays $367.58 for Self Plus One and only $300.72 for Self and Family, for coverage that includes more people.
If you are covering exactly one family member, price both enrollment types. OPM explicitly permits you to elect either one.
Increases Are Not Evenly Distributed
The 12.3% program average conceals a very wide spread. Comparing the 2025 and 2026 columns of OPM’s own tables, the biweekly enrollee payment for Self Only changed like this:
- GEHA Benefit Plan High Option: up $58.18
- BCBS FEP Blue Basic: up $20.61
- BCBS FEP Blue Standard: up $13.51
- BCBS FEP Blue Focus: up $7.64
- MHBP Value Plan: up $7.27
- GEHA Benefit Plan Standard: up $6.43
- GEHA HDHP: up $5.35
- Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic High Option (DC): down $1.78
One plan on that list got cheaper for the enrollee while another rose by nearly $1,513 a year. That gap is the entire argument for re-shopping during FEHB Open Season instead of letting the enrollment roll over.
When 2027 FEHB Premiums Come Out
They are not available yet. As of September 6, 2026, OPM’s premium page is headed “2026 Premiums” and lists 2025 and earlier under “Premiums Archive.” There is no 2027 section, and OPM’s Open Season page still shows the 2025 season as concluded.
Two things set the timing. First, 5 U.S.C. 8906(a)(1) requires OPM to determine the weighted average of subscription charges for the following contract year no later than October 1. Second, 5 CFR 890.501(b)(2)(i) treats September 1 as the cutoff for closed rate negotiations feeding that calculation. Rates cannot be final much before then.
Last year OPM published the 2026 plans and premiums on October 9, 2025, in the same news release that announced Open Season dates. Assume a similar early-to-mid October release for 2027 rates, and treat any 2027 figure circulating before then as a projection rather than a published rate.
What Lowers Your Real Cost
Premium conversion. Active employees pay the enrollee share with pre-tax salary automatically. OPM’s own example is $630 saved on an $1,800 annual premium at a 35% combined rate. It also reduces FICA and, in most states, state income tax. Annuitants do not get this, which is one reason the same plan costs a retiree more. See FEHB in retirement for how that plays out.
Choosing an HDHP with a funded account. FEHB high deductible plans establish and partially fund an HSA for eligible enrollees, or a comparable HRA for those who are not eligible. GEHA HDHP at $81.62 biweekly for Self Only is cheaper than GEHA Standard at $86.75 before counting that deposit. Whether it wins depends on your actual utilization, which is the analysis in HDHP vs PPO, and on the HSA contribution limits, since the plan’s deposit counts toward your cap.
Pairing with a pre-tax account. FSAFEDS lets active employees pay copays and deductibles with pre-tax dollars, and a limited purpose FSA can be combined with an HSA-qualified plan. Retirees are not eligible for FSAFEDS.
Coordinating with Medicare at 65. Some FEHB carriers waive cost sharing or reimburse Part B premiums for enrollees with Medicare, which can swing thousands of dollars. That decision belongs in FEHB vs Medicare, and low-income enrollees should also check Medicare Savings Programs.
Buying dental and vision separately. FEHB plans carry limited dental and vision, and FEDVIP fills the gap at its own premium, paying secondary to your health plan.
Bottom Line
For 2026, the average FEHB enrollee pays $126.29 biweekly for Self Only and $302.57 biweekly for Self and Family, but the real range across nationwide plans runs from $66.81 to $226.09 biweekly for Self Only. The program average rose 10.2% while enrollee shares rose 12.3%, and individual plans moved anywhere from a small decrease to a $58 biweekly increase. Nothing about 2027 pricing is published as of September 6, 2026; OPM’s rates are due out in early to mid October. Until then, the 2026 tables are the only defensible numbers to plan against.