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Shutdown Furlough Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions

Federal Benefits Open Season Is Here!

DATE: Monday, November 10, 2025

November 10, 2025 – December 8, 2025

Open Season is officially here! This is the time of year when employees can enroll in or change health benefits, supplemental dental and vision coverage, and elect a flexible spending account for the 2026 calendar year.

https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/open-season 

FEHB

Federal Employees Health Benefits

FEDVIP

Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance

FSAFEDS

Flexible Spending Accounts

FEHB ➯ Health Benefits

Changes and new elections are effective on January 11, 2026. Open season changes must be made online on the Employee Express Website.

FEHB: Continuing the Going Green Initiative 

Paper copies of health plan brochures will not be mailed automatically to FEHB program members. Remember that copies of all FEHB plan brochures are available on the OPM plan information website.  

Your current health plan provider will mail you a notice about their Open Season package, highlighting updates to the plan and information about how to obtain the full plan brochure. 

FEDVIP ➯ Supplemental Dental and Vision

Changes and new elections are effective on January 1, 2026.

Compare plans and make elections or changes on the BENEFEDS site.  

Visit the OPM Plan Comparison Tool for FEDVIP. 

FSAFEDS ➯ Flexible Spending Accounts

Your FSA elections are effective on January 1, 2026.

Enroll in the Flexible Spending Accounts.  

REMEMBER – Current participants must Re-Enroll. 

  • Carryover has been adopted for Health Care and Limited Expense Health Care FSAs. Participants who have enrolled in one of these FSAs in 2025 will be able to carry over $680 unspent funds from 2025 into 2026 providing participants re-enroll for the 2026 benefit period. 
  • The maximum annual election for a Health Care Flexible Spending Account and the Limited Expense Health Care Flexible Spending Account is $3,400 for the 2026 Benefit Period. 

The maximum annual election for a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account is $7,500 for the 2026 Benefit Period. There is no carryover for this account, but there is still a grace period for reimbursement until March 15, 2027. 

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