Last Updated: October 4, 2026 Reading Time: 8 min
MHBP is ending two of its three FEHB plan options for 2027. OPM's 2027 tables list both the MHBP Value Plan and the MHBP Consumer Option as terminating at the end of 2026. An enrollee who makes no choice during Open Season is moved automatically into MHBP Standard Option, where the 2027 enrollee premium is 63% to 105% above what Standard cost in 2026, and 126% to 176% above what the Value Plan cost.
What OPM's 2027 Tables Say About MHBP
OPM publishes "Significant Events" tables for each plan year. The 2027 FEHB tables list MHBP under plans terminating options, with an automatic enrollment option for anyone who does not act.
| Program | Options ending after 2026 | Where you land if you do nothing |
|---|---|---|
| FEHB (non-postal employees and annuitants) | MHBP Value Plan; MHBP Consumer Option | MHBP Standard Option |
| PSHB (postal employees and annuitants) | MHBP Consumer Option | MHBP Value Option, which continues in PSHB |
Source: OPM 2027 FEHB and PSHB Significant Events Tables, Table A5.
The rule behind the default is 5 CFR 890.301(i)(4)(iii). When one or more options of a plan are discontinued, an employee who does not change is enrolled in the plan's remaining option, or, if two or more remain, in the lowest-cost remaining option that is not a High Deductible Health Plan. The same rule applies to annuitants. In FEHB, Standard is MHBP's only remaining option.
You may have read that people in ending plans get moved to Compass Rose Standard. That is the default for plans leaving FEHB altogether. MHBP is not leaving.
What Doing Nothing Costs
Here is the enrollee cost per pay period in 2026 and under the 2027 default.
| Your 2026 MHBP option | Enrollment type | 2026 | 2027 in MHBP Standard | Change per pay period | Increase over a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Self Only | $93.89 | $153.11 | +$59.22 (+63.1%) | +$1,539.72 |
| Standard | Self Plus One | $216.12 | $442.77 | +$226.65 (+104.9%) | +$5,892.90 |
| Standard | Self and Family | $218.20 | $400.78 | +$182.58 (+83.7%) | +$4,747.08 |
| Value Plan (ends) | Self Only | $67.80 | $153.11 | +$85.31 (+125.8%) | +$2,218.06 |
| Value Plan (ends) | Self Plus One | $160.64 | $442.77 | +$282.13 (+175.6%) | +$7,335.38 |
| Value Plan (ends) | Self and Family | $163.85 | $400.78 | +$236.93 (+144.6%) | +$6,160.18 |
FedTools analysis. 2026 figures are from the 2026 MHBP brochure (RI 71-007) and OPM's 2026 rate file. 2027 figures are from OPM's 2027 fee-for-service rate file. Yearly increase is the per-pay-period change times 26. Amounts are for non-postal FEHB enrollees paid biweekly.
Consumer Option members also default into Standard at the 2027 rates above.
Only Self Plus One roughly doubles. Self Only rises 63.1% and Self and Family rises 83.7%.
Why the enrollee share jumped so much
MHBP Standard's total premium rose 34.5% for Self Only, 40.0% for Self Plus One and 42.6% for Self and Family. In 2026 the government paid 75% of it. For 2027 the plan's premium is above the level where the government's dollar cap applies, so the government pays the flat cap ($352.04, $767.53 and $843.82 per pay period) and the enrollee pays the rest.
We break that rule down plan by plan in why the government's share of your FEHB premium dropped.
A quirk for two-person households
In 2027, MHBP Standard Self Plus One costs more than Self and Family: $442.77 against $400.78 per pay period. That is $41.99 a pay period, or $1,091.74 a year. The government's cap is lower for Self Plus One, and MHBP's two total premiums are close together. A household of two that stays in MHBP Standard pays less by electing Self and Family.
What Other Nationwide Plans Cost in 2027
This table compares premiums only. Deductibles, networks and covered benefits differ, and some plans have membership or eligibility conditions. Read each plan's brochure before you switch.
| 2027 plan | Self Only | Self Plus One | Self and Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| MHBP Standard (the default) | $153.11 | $442.77 | $400.78 |
| Compass Rose Standard | $69.04 | $151.89 | $165.69 |
| FEP Blue Focus | $74.16 | $159.43 | $175.35 |
| GEHA Elevate | $77.92 | $187.99 | $228.85 |
| GEHA HDHP | $81.62 | $175.47 | $215.63 |
| GEHA Standard | $86.75 | $186.51 | $231.45 |
| APWU Consumer Driven | $102.63 | $223.06 | $243.34 |
| SAMBA Standard | $135.87 | $264.64 | $280.66 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield Basic | $145.46 | $350.48 | $387.54 |
| Compass Rose High | $149.97 | $336.89 | $361.03 |
| GEHA High | $168.01 | $376.59 | $459.39 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield Standard | $204.65 | $449.89 | $496.90 |
Enrollee cost per pay period, from OPM's 2027 fee-for-service rate file. Nationwide fee-for-service options only. HMOs and regional plans are not shown.
At Self Plus One, 10 of these 11 alternatives cost less than MHBP Standard. Compass Rose Standard is $290.88 less per pay period, which is $7,562.88 over a year.
If you were in the Consumer Option because it is a High Deductible Health Plan, GEHA's HDHP option is the high deductible plan in this table.
What Happens to Your HSA
Consumer Option members with a Health Savings Account keep it.
- The balance is yours. Under 26 U.S.C. 223, an HSA is nonforfeitable.
- You can still spend it. Withdrawals for qualified medical expenses stay tax-free, whether or not you are still in a high deductible plan.
- New contributions generally stop for any month you are covered only by a plan that is not a High Deductible Health Plan, such as MHBP Standard. HSA eligibility is tested month by month. You can still make 2026 contributions you were eligible for until the tax filing deadline, and IRS Publication 969 explains the last-month rule.
To keep contributing in 2027, you need High Deductible Health Plan coverage and no other disqualifying coverage. For most people that means electing an HDHP during Open Season.
Dates and Next Steps
Open Season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026. New coverage starts January 10, 2027 for most non-postal employees, and January 1, 2027 for annuitants and PSHB enrollees.
- Find your current MHBP option on your pay statement or annuity statement.
- Decide whether MHBP Standard at the 2027 price is what you want. If it is, you do not need to act.
- If it is not, compare premiums above, then compare deductibles and networks in each plan's 2027 brochure when OPM posts them.
- Two-person households staying in MHBP Standard: compare Self Plus One with Self and Family.
- Make your election before December 14. See how to make your 2027 FEHB changes.
For the general rules when any plan or option ends, see what happens when your FEHB plan is discontinued.
Compare Your Premium
The free FEHB Calculator takes a plan and enrollment type and shows what you pay per pay period and per year next to the government's share. The calculator currently shows 2026 rates, so use the tables above for 2027 until its 2027 update goes live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MHBP Consumer Option ending for 2027?
Yes. OPM's 2027 tables list the MHBP Consumer Option as a terminating option at the end of 2026, in both FEHB and PSHB. FEHB enrollees who do not choose another plan are automatically enrolled in MHBP Standard Option.
Is MHBP Value Plan ending too?
In FEHB, yes. The Value Plan terminates at the end of 2026 along with the Consumer Option. In PSHB, the Value Option continues, and it is where postal Consumer Option enrollees land by default.
If I do nothing, where does OPM put me?
FEHB enrollees in MHBP Value Plan or Consumer Option are moved to MHBP Standard Option. PSHB enrollees in MHBP Consumer Option are moved to MHBP Value Option. The Compass Rose Standard default applies only to plans leaving FEHB entirely, and MHBP is not leaving.
How much will MHBP Standard cost in 2027?
OPM's 2027 rates put the enrollee cost per pay period at $153.11 for Self Only, up from $93.89; $442.77 for Self Plus One, up from $216.12; and $400.78 for Self and Family, up from $218.20. Those are increases of 63.1%, 104.9% and 83.7%.
Why is MHBP Standard Self Plus One more expensive than Self and Family?
The government's maximum contribution is lower for Self Plus One ($767.53 per pay period) than for Self and Family ($843.82), while MHBP Standard's two total premiums are close. The result is that Self Plus One costs the enrollee $41.99 more per pay period, or $1,091.74 a year.
What happens to my HSA when MHBP Consumer Option ends?
The account stays yours. The balance is nonforfeitable, and you can keep spending it tax-free on qualified medical expenses. Coverage only under a plan that is not a High Deductible Health Plan, such as MHBP Standard, generally ends your eligibility to contribute for those months. You can still make 2026 contributions you were eligible for until the tax filing deadline. IRS Publication 969 covers the exceptions, including the last-month rule.
When is the deadline to choose a different plan?
Open Season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026. New coverage starts January 10, 2027 for most non-postal employees and January 1, 2027 for annuitants and PSHB enrollees.
I am a postal employee. Does this apply to me?
Only the PSHB part does. In PSHB the MHBP Consumer Option ends and the default is MHBP Value Option, which continues. MHBP's FEHB plan is generally closed to postal employees and postal annuitants, who are covered under PSHB.
Related Resources
- FEHB Calculator: Your cost per pay period by plan and enrollment type.
- Why the Government's Share of Your FEHB Premium Dropped: The cap rule and 17 plan options compared.
- What Happens When Your FEHB Plan Is Discontinued: The general rules.
- FEHB 2027 Premiums Tracker: What OPM has confirmed for 2027.
- Federal Employee HSA Guide: How HSAs work with FEHB plans.
Sources: OPM 2027 FEHB and PSHB Significant Events Tables (Table A5, plans terminating options); OPM 2027 fee-for-service premium rate file; OPM 2026 fee-for-service premium rate file; MHBP 2026 brochure RI 71-007; OPM, Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights, 2027 Plan Year; 5 CFR 890.301 and 890.306; 26 U.S.C. 223.