Proposed Rule2026-18944
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Optimizing FEHB Plan Offerings
Primary source
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Published
September 15, 2026
Issuing agencies
Personnel Management Office
Abstract
This request for information (RFI) seeks public input on how to optimize health benefits plan options offered in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, which includes the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, to give enrollees high value choices at competitive costs while ensuring the appropriate number and distribution of options are available to enrollees. Currently, health benefits plans in the FEHB Program are limited to offering three options or two options and a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) pursuant to 5 CFR 890.201(b)(3)(i). The information gathered through this RFI will inform the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as to whether modifications to the current FEHB regulations are needed through future notice and comment rulemaking as OPM explores ways to optimize the FEHB and PSHB portfolio and provide enrollees with high value choices at competitive costs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 177 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 58388-58390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18944]
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
5 CFR Part 890
[Docket ID: OPM-2026-xxxx]
RIN 3206-XXXX
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Optimizing FEHB Plan
Offerings
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: This request for information (RFI) seeks public input on how
to optimize health benefits plan options offered in the Federal
Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, which includes the Postal
Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, to give enrollees high value
choices at competitive costs while ensuring the appropriate number and
distribution of options are available to enrollees. Currently, health
benefits plans in the FEHB Program are limited to offering three
options or two options and a high-deductible health plan (HDHP)
pursuant to 5 CFR 890.201(b)(3)(i). The information gathered through
this RFI will inform the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as to
whether modifications to the current FEHB regulations are needed
through future notice and comment rulemaking as OPM explores ways to
optimize the FEHB and PSHB portfolio and provide enrollees with high
value choices at competitive costs.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 16, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and/or
Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) and title, by the following method:
[[Page 58389]]
<bullet> Federal Rulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
All submissions received must include the agency name and docket
number or RIN for this document. The general policy for comments and
other submissions from members of the public is to make these
submissions available for public viewing at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>
as they are received, without change, including any personal
identifiers or contact information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meredith Gitangu, Senior Benefits
Analyst, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a0cdc5d2c5c4c9d4c88ec7c9d4c1cec7d5e0cfd0cd8ec7cfd6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="caa7afb8afaea3bea2e4ada3beaba4adbf8aa5baa7e4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>, (202) 606-2678.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The FEHB Program was established in 1960 and is the largest
employer-sponsored health insurance program in the United States. There
are approximately 8.3 million covered individuals in the FEHB Program.
Covered individuals include employees of the federal government,
annuitants, covered family members, former spouses, and statutorily
eligible groups enumerated in 5 U.S.C. 8901; and tribal employees of
tribal employers, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 1647b. Postal Service
employees, Postal Service annuitants, and their family members are
eligible for health benefits under the PSHB Program pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 8903c.
OPM administers the FEHB Program in accordance with Title 5 Chapter
89, United States Code and implementing regulations (5 CFR parts 890
and 892 and 48 CFR chapter 16). Under 5 U.S.C. 8913 OPM may prescribe
regulations necessary to carry out administration of the FEHB Program.
OPM contracts with Carriers who provide health benefits plans in
the FEHB Program, including the PSHB Program. For Plan Year 2026, there
are 132 plan options from 47 Carriers in the FEHB Program and 75 plan
options from 17 Carriers in the PSHB Program. Health benefits plans are
limited to offering three options or two options and a HDHP pursuant to
5 CFR 890.201(b)(3)(i). When considering whether to allow health
benefits plans to offer more, fewer, or different options, OPM is
publishing this RFI and seeking public comment on the effect on
premiums and health care costs, the consumer experience and the impact
on operational practices.
As OPM explores ways to manage premium growth, it wishes to collect
information from key stakeholders that support the FY 2026-2027 Annual
Performance Plan's Strategic Objective 2.3 which seeks to ``[e]stablish
and apply evidence-based criteria to assess the appropriate number and
distribution of health plan options available to enrollees.''
OPM has used rulemaking on health benefits plan options offered in
the past. In 2010,\1\ OPM made changes to 5 CFR 890.201 to ``allow
eligible FEHB plans to offer three options, without the requirement
that one of the options be a high deductible health plan.'' Previously,
the regulation stated, ``FEHB plans shall not have more than two
options and a high deductible health plan.'' These changes applied to
employee organization plans and health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
described in 5 U.S.C. 8904(3) and (4), respectively. Then, in 2018,\2\
OPM made additional modifications that ``revised the regulations so all
health benefits plans are able to offer three options or two options
and a high deductible health plan,'' expanding the 2010 rule to the
Service Benefit Plan described in 5 U.S.C. 8903(1) and the Indemnity
Benefit Plan described in 5 U.S.C. 8903(2).
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\1\ 75 FR 76615.
\2\ 83 FR 18399.
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Questions
OPM recognizes the importance of maintaining affordable health
coverage while continuing to provide value to those enrolled. Modifying
the number or types of health plan options in the FEHB Program is a
measure that may help to address growing costs. OPM seeks input on how
this can influence cost savings.
<bullet> For enrollees, how might more, fewer, or different health
benefits plan options offered lessen the cost burdens or mitigate
premium increases?
<bullet> Would enrollees like to have more, fewer, or different
health benefits plan options offered to choose from?
<bullet> Would a wider variety of options drive enrollees to select
plan options with lower premiums?
<bullet> Plan options with lower premiums may involve higher
deductibles and how can enrollees be best informed about their cost
sharing when making a health plan selection?
<bullet> Should there be a threshold or upper limit to what a plan
may charge for premiums and if that limit is exceeded should the plan
be required to eliminate the plan offering if the premiums are not
reduced?
<bullet> For the government, how might more, fewer, or different
health benefits plan options offered lessen cost burdens and mitigate
increases to the government contribution?
<bullet> If more plan options offered are HDHPs with health savings
accounts allowing for enrollees to pay for care on a pre-tax basis,
what impact would it have on enrollees and the government?
<bullet> What cost implications would be borne by FEHB Program
Carriers if more, fewer, or different plan options are offered?
<bullet> Are there other cost implications for OPM to consider?
Enrollee satisfaction in the FEHB Program remains high. The 2023
Federal Employee Benefits Survey (FEBS) reported 90% of respondents
considered the FEHB Program availability as ``extremely important/
important'' and 94% of respondents believed it ``meets needs to a great
or moderate extent'' however only 66% of respondents considered it an
``excellent or good value.'' OPM seeks input on how more, fewer, or
different health benefits plan options offered can impact the FEHB
consumer experience.
<bullet> What are the advantages or disadvantages of offering more
choices in the FEHB Program?
<bullet> Are there particular types of plan options that would be
more advantageous or desired to the FEHB Program population?
<bullet> Would more, fewer, or different plan options have an
impact on the health status of the FEHB Program population? For
example, might an enrollee expedite or delay care based on the plan
type and associated cost sharing?
<bullet> If the plan options offered are HDHPs, would it encourage
enrollees to shop around for lower cost medical care?
<bullet> What consumer support changes would FEHB Program Carriers
need to make if more, fewer, or different plan options were offered?
<bullet> Would changes to the health benefits plan options offered
impact employees and annuitants differently?
<bullet> Are there additional consumer experience implications for
OPM to consider?
OPM is the administrator of the FEHB Program and contracts with
Carriers that offer health benefits plans. In addition, OPM relies on a
network of professionals throughout the federal government tasked with
supporting enrollees with enrollment and other key operational aspects
of the FEHB Program. OPM seeks input on how more, fewer or different
health benefits plan options offered can impact operational and
business practices.
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<bullet> Would offering more health plan options provide relief for
existing plans facing detrimental adverse selection?
<bullet> How would more, fewer or different plan options affect
current agency benefit officer (ABO) and human resource specialist
training and knowledge and employee coaching or support practices?
<bullet> Are the currently available search tools and plan compare
technology in the FEHB Program sufficient to support more, fewer or
different plan option offerings?
<bullet> Are currently used payroll and human resource systems
sufficient to support more, fewer, or different plan option offerings?
<bullet> What operational impacts would FEHB Carriers face if more,
fewer or different plan options were offered?
<bullet> What types of contracting arrangements and incentives can
be utilized to optimize plan options offerings and value?
<bullet> Are there other operational implications for OPM to
consider?
Office of Personnel Management.
Alexys Stanley,
Federal Register Liaison.
[FR Doc. 2026-18944 Filed 9-14-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-38-P
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