Last Updated: October 25, 2026 Reading Time: 9 min

The last two months of 2026 stack up more federal benefits deadlines than any other stretch of the year: two Open Seasons that close on different days, a use-or-lose leave date that isn't a use date, a funding cliff on December 11, and TSP distributions that only some retirees owe. Here are the main federal employee year-end deadlines in one table, checked against the agency that sets each one.

Last verified: October 25, 2026. Dates come from OPM, TRICARE, Medicare, the funding law and the TSP and tax regulations, linked in each section.

Add these dates to your calendar: subscribe to the free benefits deadline calendar in Outlook or Google.

Date Deadline Who it applies to If you miss it
Thu Oct 15 to Mon Dec 7 Medicare Open Enrollment People enrolled in Medicare, including annuitants 65 and older Your current Medicare Advantage or Part D choice generally carries into 2027
Mon Nov 9 Federal Benefits Open Season and TRICARE Open Season open Employees, annuitants, military retirees Nothing yet; this is the start
Sat Nov 28 Schedule use-or-lose annual leave in writing Most employees with a balance above their ceiling Leave you then lose to work needs or illness generally can't be restored
Tue Dec 8 TRICARE Open Season closes TRICARE Prime and Select enrollees You stay in your current plan for 2027
Fri Dec 11 Current government funding runs out Employees of agencies funded by annual appropriations A lapse would begin December 12 if no new funding law is enacted
Mon Dec 14 FEHB, PSHB, FEDVIP and FSAFEDS Open Season closes Employees and annuitants; FEDVIP also for military retirees Current coverage generally continues if your plan stays available (plans that are ending follow OPM's replacement rules), but you have no FSA in 2027
Thu Dec 31 TSP required minimum distribution, second and later years Separated TSP participants who owe one The TSP sends the shortfall automatically
Sat Jan 9, 2027 Leave year 2026 ends Most employees Annual leave above your ceiling is forfeited

Federal Benefits Open Season: November 9 to December 14

OPM's Open Season page says Open Season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026, and covers FEHB, PSHB, FEDVIP and FSAFEDS. Follow the submission deadline your agency's enrollment system or benefits office publishes for December 14, and don't leave it for the last evening.

Three things people get wrong:

  • An employee's FEHB change starts with the first pay period that begins in January 2027 (5 CFR 890.301(f)(4)(ii)), January 10, 2027 for most employees per OPM. Annuitant and PSHB changes take effect January 1.
  • Doing nothing generally keeps your current health and FEDVIP plans. It does not keep your FSA.
  • FSAFEDS enrollment doesn't carry forward. Only the health care and limited expense FSAs have a carryover; the dependent care FSA doesn't. FSAFEDS also sets its own incur-by date and claims deadline for 2026 money, so check fsafeds.gov for those.

Premiums and plan benefits can change every year, so it's worth comparing. Our Open Season how-to walks the change itself, and the FSAFEDS checklist covers re-enrolling.

TRICARE Open Season Closes December 8

The TRICARE Open Season page gives the dates as November 9 through December 8, 2026, six days earlier than FEHB.

  • It covers TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select. It doesn't apply to active duty members, TRICARE For Life, TRICARE Reserve Select, TRICARE Retired Reserve or TRICARE Young Adult.
  • Changes take effect January 1, 2027. If you're enrolled and do nothing, you stay in your plan.
  • FEDVIP runs on the federal schedule. Military retirees can enroll in FEDVIP dental, and in FEDVIP vision if they're in a TRICARE health plan, through December 14.

If you hold both TRICARE and FEHB eligibility, our TRICARE vs. FEHB comparison and the TRICARE Open Season guide help you decide before the 8th.

Medicare Open Enrollment Ends December 7

Medicare's Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, and your plan must get your change by December 7. Changes start January 1, 2027. That's a week before FEHB closes, so annuitants weighing Medicare Advantage against FEHB should decide in that order. Our Medicare vs. FEHB Open Season guide lays out the overlap.

Use-or-Lose Leave: Schedule by November 28, Use by January 9

OPM's leave year table shows leave year 2026 running January 11, 2026 to January 9, 2027, with a scheduling deadline of November 28, 2026. OPM notes those dates "apply to most employees" and that some agency payroll systems use a different schedule, so confirm yours.

November 28 matters because forfeited leave can be restored for an exigency of the public business or your illness only if it was "scheduled in writing before the start of the third biweekly pay period prior to the end of the leave year." Miss that date and leave you lose to a canceled vacation generally can't be restored.

  • Most employees can carry 240 hours of annual leave into the next leave year.
  • Restored leave goes into a separate account that you generally have about two leave years to use.
  • The scheduling rule doesn't apply to leave restored under the national-emergency provision, 5 U.S.C. § 6304(d)(3).

Plan the hours with our Leave Optimizer, and see the full use-or-lose deadline guide.

December 11: The Funding Deadline

The stopgap law signed September 2, 2026, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (Public Law 119-103), funds agencies until "whichever of the following first occurs," with the last date being "December 11, 2026." Two things follow:

  • It can end sooner. If Congress enacts full-year or other appropriations first, that law takes over.
  • A lapse isn't automatic. It would begin December 12 only if no new funding law is in place by then.

Our December 11 rights guide covers what a lapse would mean for pay and for the shutdown RIF settlement.

TSP: Minimum Distributions and Your Last 2026 Paychecks

Required minimum distributions. Only a "separated participant must receive required minimum distributions" from the TSP (5 CFR 1650.16). If you're still working for the government, you owe none in 2026, whatever your age.

  • The age is 73 for people born 1951 through 1959 (26 U.S.C. § 401(a)(9)(C)).
  • The first distribution can wait until April 1 of the year after the later of turning 73 or separating.
  • Every later distribution is due by December 31. If 2026 isn't your first year, your 2026 distribution must be out by Thursday, December 31, 2026.
  • If you take too little, the TSP sends the rest automatically, on its own timing.

Our RMD checklist and RMD calculator do the math. If you were born in 1953, see the first-RMD April 1 guide.

Contribution changes for your last checks. A TSP election "will become effective no later than the first full pay period after it is received" (5 CFR 1600.12(d)). If you're adjusting contributions to finish the year, submit early and check your payroll provider's calendar. The GSA payroll calendar has an extra pay date in 2026 (other providers run different calendars); our 27 pay periods guide explains which and why it matters for the match.

The 2027 limit isn't out yet. As of October 25, 2026, we found no IRS announcement of the 2027 401(k) and TSP limits. We'll update our 2027 contribution guide the day it does.

What Isn't a Year-End Deadline

A few dates circulate that you can ignore:

  • FEGLI has no annual Open Season. We found no year-end FEGLI deadline.
  • FLTCIP isn't part of the Federal Benefits Open Season.
  • There's no HSA "spend by December 31" rule that we could find. We didn't review HSA rules in detail this run, so check your plan.

Plan Your Leave Before November 28

Our free Federal Leave Optimizer tracks your use-or-lose hours as you place leave days on a holiday-aware calendar, so you can put the schedule in writing before the November 28 deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does 2026 Open Season end, and at what time?

Monday, December 14, 2026, per OPM. Check the exact cutoff time your agency's enrollment system or benefits office publishes, and don't wait for the last evening.

Does TRICARE Open Season end at the same time as FEHB?

No. TRICARE Open Season runs November 9 to December 8, 2026, six days before the Federal Benefits Open Season closes on December 14. It covers TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select only.

Is November 28 the last day to use my use-or-lose leave?

No. November 28, 2026 is OPM's deadline to schedule use-or-lose leave in writing so it can be restored if it's later canceled for work needs or illness. For most employees, leave year 2026 ends January 9, 2027, and you can use the leave through that date.

What happens if Congress doesn't act by December 11?

Current funding runs out at the end of December 11, 2026. If no new funding law is enacted by then, a lapse in appropriations would begin December 12. If Congress passes appropriations earlier, the stopgap ends sooner.

Do I have to take a TSP required minimum distribution by December 31 if I'm still working?

No. TSP rules require minimum distributions only for separated participants. If you're separated and 2026 is your first distribution year, it can wait until April 1, 2027; later years are due by December 31.

Does my FSAFEDS account renew automatically?

No. FSAFEDS enrollment doesn't carry forward, so you must enroll again during Open Season, by December 14, 2026, to have a flexible spending account in 2027.

Can military retirees join FEDVIP this Open Season?

Yes. Military retirees can enroll in FEDVIP dental, and in FEDVIP vision if they're enrolled in a TRICARE health plan, during the November 9 to December 14 Federal Benefits Open Season.

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