The Office of Personnel Management has extended the open season for the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) program. It will now run through Friday, December 13th at 11:59 pm EST.
Note that this extension only applies to the PSHB program. FEHB open season still runs through 11:59 PM EST on Monday, December 9.
OPM announced the 2025 annual premiums for the new PSHB program in September. The total average increase for the enrollees’ share of next year’s PSHB premiums is 11.1%. This is lower than the 13.5% overall average increase for the enrollees’ share of premiums in the FEHB program in 2025.
OPM said that the difference in premium increases in the two programs is due to greater integration in Medicare for PSHB required under the Postal Service Reform Act, differences in the cost profiles of the plans offered in each program, and demographic factors.
Quick Facts About the PSHB Program
OPM provided the following summary information about the inaugural PSHB program:
- The Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program is a new, separate program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
- PSHB will provide health benefits plans to eligible Postal Service employees, Postal Service annuitants, and their eligible family members starting on January 1, 2025.
- Postal Service employees and Postal Service annuitants will no longer be eligible to enroll or continue enrollment in an FEHB plan as of January 1, 2025, and must enroll in a PSHB plan to maintain health coverage through the Postal Service.
- If a Postal Service employee or Postal Service annuitant is covered under a family member’s FEHB plan not through the Postal Service, they can continue that coverage after January 1, 2025.
- Former Postal Service employees and their family members who are on Temporary Continuation of Coverage prior to January 1, 2025, through their FEHB plan will continue with that FEHB plan after January 1, 2025.
- Health insurance premiums are representative of the cost of the benefits provided. For 2025, the cost of many health plans in both PSHB and FEHB have increased more than in previous years. Enrollees received an auto-enrollment letter listing the plan they will automatically be enrolled in if no changes are made during the Open Season. If an enrollee is considering making a plan change due to the increased cost of their premium, they:
- can browse plan costs and information online without signing in to their PSHB account, by visiting health-benefits.opm.gov and clicking on Compare Plans Without Signing In,
- may review general information on PSHB premiums; or
- for specific questions about premiums, they may contact a Carrier.
