If your health plan is on the list of FEHB options ending after 2026, staying quiet this Open Season won’t keep your current coverage in place. Instead, you may be automatically moved to a different plan for 2027-one you haven’t personally compared with your doctors, prescriptions, or budget.
That’s the default plan trap: an automatic assignment can keep coverage in place, but it does not mean the plan is the right fit for you.
The 2027 Open Season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026. Here’s what’s changing, what happens if you take no action, and how to choose deliberately before the deadline.
Which FEHB plans are ending in 2027?
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) lists nine FEHB plan options that will not be available for the 2027 plan year:
- Independent Health Standard
- Independent Health HDHP
- Blue Care Network of Michigan – Southeast High
- UHC Choice Primary West High
- UHC Choice Plus Primary West High
- Health Net of California (Northern) High
- Health Net of California (Southern) Standard
- Health Net of California (Southern) Basic
- Health Net of California (Southern) High
Four of the nine are Health Net of California options. If you’re enrolled in one of these plans, OPM says that if you don’t select a new FEHB plan during Open Season, you’ll be automatically enrolled in Compass Rose Standard.
That may sound like a convenient safety net. But it’s an assignment, not a personalized recommendation based on your family’s doctors, medications, preferred hospitals, or costs.
Important for USPS employees: PSHB has a different default
There is also one PSHB option ending for 2027: UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Inc. Choice Plus Primary Postal East.
The automatic default is different for this PSHB plan. If an enrollee in that discontinued option does not choose a replacement, OPM says they will be automatically enrolled in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan FEP Blue Focus.
So, don’t assume the FEHB default applies to PSHB. Compass Rose Standard is the default for the affected FEHB options; FEP Blue Focus is the default for the affected PSHB option. USPS employees should use the Postal Service Health Benefits System to review available plans and enrollment information.
Why can doing nothing be a trap?
A default plan is not necessarily a bad plan. The risk is that it may not match what matters most to you.
For example, imagine you have a specialist you see regularly, a prescription that requires prior authorization, and a preferred pharmacy near home. If you’re automatically moved, you’ll want to check whether the new plan’s provider network, drug formulary, pharmacy rules, and cost-sharing work for you. A familiar plan name or a low premium alone can’t answer those questions.
Your needs may also have changed since you last reviewed coverage. Perhaps a dependent needs care, you expect a planned procedure, or you now see providers in a different part of the country. Open Season is your chance to compare the full picture rather than rely on an automatic choice.
If you want help organizing your priorities, you can book a benefits review with Max. A review can help you think through what to compare; always verify final plan details with official OPM materials and the carrier’s current brochure.
How to choose a replacement plan before December 14
A focused comparison is often more useful than trying to read every brochure from cover to cover. Start with the plan options available where you live, then compare the details most likely to affect your care and out-of-pocket costs.
1. Confirm your current plan is on the ending list
Check the plan name and option on your current enrollment record. If you’re unsure whether your plan is one of the discontinued options, contact your agency benefits office or plan carrier. USPS employees can review PSHB information in the PSHBS.
2. Check your doctors and facilities
Look up your primary care provider, specialists, hospitals, and other important facilities in the prospective plan’s directory. If you see providers in more than one location, check each one. A provider directory is a useful starting point, but it’s smart to confirm network participation directly with the provider and plan.
3. Review your prescriptions
Check each medication against the plan’s current formulary. Note the drug tier, copay or coinsurance, preferred pharmacy rules, and any prior authorization or step-therapy requirements. If a medicine is important to your treatment, don’t assume coverage carries over unchanged when you change plans.
4. Compare likely costs, not just premiums
Review the 2027 premium alongside the deductible, copays, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximum. Consider the kind of care you and your family realistically use. Someone with frequent specialist visits may weigh costs differently from someone who mainly wants protection against unexpected medical bills.
OPM’s FEHB Plan Comparison Tool can help you compare plan features. For official plan rules and coverage details, read the 2027 brochure. OPM’s Open Season page links to the 2027 highlights and other resources.
5. Submit your election early, and confirm it
The Open Season deadline is December 14, 2026. OPM says the FEHB and PSHB cutoff is 11:59 p.m. based on the location of your electronic enrollment system. Don’t leave your decision until the final hours: give yourself time to resolve login or submission issues, then save the confirmation of your election.
If you’d like a second set of eyes on your priorities before submitting your choice, schedule a benefits review.
Two other 2027 changes worth checking
GLP-1 coverage requires documented behavioral therapy
For 2027, OPM says FEHB and PSHB carriers will require documented participation in an evidence-based intensive behavioral therapy program both before and during treatment with anti-obesity medications. Plans must continue to cover at least one GLP-1 anti-obesity medication and at least two oral anti-obesity medications, but the actual coverage rules depend on the plan.
This does not mean every GLP-1 medication is covered for every purpose or every member. Check the plan’s brochure for formulary details, eligibility criteria, prior authorization, and documentation requirements. If this coverage could affect you, ask the plan how it defines qualifying therapy and what records you’ll need.
FSAFEDS adds a Visa debit card option
For 2027, FSAFEDS participants with a Health Care FSA (HCFSA) or Limited Expense Health Care FSA (LEX HCFSA) can choose a FSAFEDS Visa FSA Card or paperless reimbursement. The card is intended for eligible health care, pharmacy, dental, and vision expenses, and can pay eligible costs at the point of service.
Remember that it’s for eligible expenses, not general spending. Keep receipts and other documentation in case a transaction needs to be substantiated. Also, FSAFEDS does not automatically renew each year: eligible employees who want an account for 2027 need to enroll or reenroll during Open Season.
Don’t let an automatic assignment make the decision for you
If your FEHB plan is ending, take time during Open Season to choose a replacement that fits your needs. If you’re in the discontinued PSHB option, review your PSHB choices rather than assuming the FEHB default applies. The automatic option may preserve coverage, but only a comparison can tell you whether it suits your providers, prescriptions, and expected costs.
Use the official OPM 2027 Open Season highlights, plan brochures, and enrollment system to verify current details. Federal Benefits Service can also help you talk through your priorities. Book a benefits review with Max before the December 14 deadline.
This article is for general education and is not a recommendation to enroll in a specific plan. Plan availability, premiums, networks, benefits, and coverage rules can change. Confirm current details with OPM, your enrollment system, and the plan carrier.
