PSHB Open Enrollment 2026: Dates, Plan Options, and What Postal Retirees Need to Know

The PSHB Open Season is the only window each year when postal employees and retirees can switch health plans, change enrollment type (Self Only, Self Plus One, Self and Family), or make other adjustments to their Postal Service Health Benefits coverage. Outside this window and a few qualifying life events, your PSHB enrollment is locked.

For 2026, PSHB premiums rose by an average of 11.3% across all plans. That increase is pushing many postal retirees to comparison-shop during Open Season for the first time since the program launched. Whether you're actively working or already separated, the enrollment mechanics and deadlines are the same.

2026 Open Season Dates

PSHB Open Season runs from the second Monday in November through the second Monday in December. The exact dates for 2026 are November 9 through December 14, 2026. Enrollment changes take effect January 1, 2027.

All enrollment actions during Open Season are processed through OPM's centralized PSHB enrollment portal. You'll need a Login.gov account linked to your personal email address — the same one used for the Online Retirement Application if you've already retired under the digital system.

What's Available in 2026

The 2026 PSHB program offers 75 plan options from 17 health carriers. That's a notable expansion from the program's first year, particularly in regional HMO coverage. Metropolitan areas have more geographically targeted plan options than the initial PSHB lineup provided.

Plan types include Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans with nationwide provider access, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) with fixed networks, and Consumer-Driven and High Deductible Health Plans. Each plan's brochure is published on OPM's PSHB plan information page before Open Season begins.

How Premiums Work for Retirees

Active employees pay PSHB premiums pre-tax through payroll deduction. Retirees pay post-tax through automatic deduction from their monthly OPM annuity payment.

The 2026 premium increases averaged 11.3% program-wide, but individual plan increases vary significantly. Some plans saw single-digit increases while others crossed 15%. The only way to know your specific plan's premium change is to compare the 2025 and 2026 brochures for your current enrollment.

One structural difference from FEHB: the PSHB plan year runs on a strict January 1 through December 31 calendar for both active employees and retirees. Under the old FEHB system, active employees aligned with the first full pay period in January.

What Happens If You Don't Enroll

If you skip Open Season entirely and don't make any changes, your current PSHB enrollment continues into the next year at the updated premium rate. OPM doesn't cancel your coverage for inaction during Open Season.

However, if your current plan exits the PSHB program or stops serving your geographic area, OPM will automatically transition you to a comparable plan. You'll receive notification before this happens, and the automatic assignment may not match your preferences. Reviewing your options during Open Season avoids that surprise.

The Medicare Part B Connection

For postal retirees approaching age 65, Open Season overlaps with a separate, higher-stakes decision. Under PSHB rules, most postal annuitants must enroll in Medicare Part B when they become entitled to Part A. Failure to maintain Part B enrollment results in permanent disenrollment from PSHB — and that disenrollment can't be reversed.

The 2026 standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 per month. This cost is separate from and in addition to your PSHB plan premium. Together, the two premiums represent your total health coverage cost in retirement.

Five categories of postal annuitants are exempt from the Part B mandate: pre-2025 retirees not enrolled in Part B as of January 1, 2025; active employees who turned 64 on or before January 1, 2025; overseas residents; VA health beneficiaries; and IHS-eligible individuals. If you qualify for an exception, your PSHB coverage continues without Part B enrollment.

Retirees Whose Annuity Can't Cover Premiums

If your monthly OPM annuity payment is too small to cover the full PSHB premium deduction, OPM won't simply cancel your coverage. Instead, you can make direct premium payments to the National Finance Center. This situation is most common for retirees with reduced annuities — those who retired under the MRA+10 provision or who elected maximum survivor benefits.

Choosing a Plan During Open Season

The decision comes down to matching your healthcare usage patterns to plan design. High-utilization retirees with ongoing specialist care and prescription needs generally fare better with FFS plans or HMOs with broad specialty networks. Lower-utilization retirees who primarily need preventive care and prescription coverage may find Consumer-Driven plans cost-effective, particularly if they can fund the Health Savings Account.

For retirees with Medicare Part B, coordination of benefits between Medicare and PSHB eliminates most out-of-pocket costs — Medicare acts as the primary payer and PSHB covers the gaps. Selecting a lower-premium PSHB plan often makes financial sense when Medicare is carrying the primary load.

The USPS Retirement Guide details the full PSHB plan selection framework, including how to evaluate plans based on your Medicare status and how premium deductions interact with interim pay during the OPM adjudication period.

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