Last Updated: September 30, 2026 Reading Time: 8 min
TRICARE Open Season for 2027 coverage runs November 9 through December 8, 2026, and if you're a military retiree working a federal job, this window decides more than your health plan. It decides how much flexibility you keep for your second retirement. Here's the switch math, the suspend-vs-cancel trap, what DHA's CY2027 notice settled and left open, and the six-day gap between the two open seasons that decides which one you finish first.
The Dates, and the Six-Day Gap That Runs Backward
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 18, 2026 | DHA publishes the CY2027 program-changes notice (91 FR 59115): pharmacy copays frozen, enrollment fees and caps omitted |
| October 14, 2026 | BLS releases the September CPI, the last input to the COLA that sets 2027 fees |
| Before November 9, 2026 | DHA posts the COLA-adjusted 2027 fees, deductibles, and catastrophic caps to tricare.mil/changes |
| November 9, 2026 | TRICARE and FEHB Open Seasons both begin |
| December 14, 2026 | FEHB Open Season closes (5 CFR 890.301(f): Monday of the second full workweek in December) |
| December 8, 2026 | TRICARE Open Season closes |
| January 1, 2027 | All elections take effect |
The gap matters for anyone pairing an FEHB Open Season election with a TRICARE change. TRICARE closes first. If you wait until December 8 to move the TRICARE side, you still have six days on the FEHB side, but not the reverse: an FEHB election on December 14 is six days too late to pair with a TRICARE change. Do the TRICARE side by December 8, then the FEHB side by December 14, in that order. Federal retirees who suspend FEHB to use TRICARE are on a different clock: OPM accepts a suspension at any time, not only during Open Season, so coordinate the suspension's effective date and documentation separately.
Correction, September 30, 2026: an earlier version of this section said the FEHB window closed one day before TRICARE's and told readers to finish both by December 7. Under 5 CFR 890.301(f)(1) the FEHB season runs through December 14, six days after TRICARE's December 8 close.
What Switching Costs: The 2026 Baseline Numbers
The CY2027 notice landed September 18, 2026, and it set no enrollment fees. Those wait on the COLA. Until they post, plan with the 2026 numbers (Group A means the sponsor entered service before January 1, 2018, which covers nearly all current retirees). These are 2026 rates; 2027 rates were unpublished as of September 30, 2026:
| Plan (Group A retiree) | Annual fee, individual | Annual fee, family | Deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRICARE Prime | $381.96 | $765.00 | $0 in-network |
| TRICARE Select | $186.96 | $375.00 | $150 / $300 family |
Group B (entered service 2018 or later): Prime runs $462.96 / $927, Select $594.96 / $1,191.
Prime vs Select is a provider question, not a money question. Prime is the HMO model: near-zero out-of-pocket, but you work through a primary care manager and referrals. Select is the PPO model: pick your own providers, pay modest cost-shares, with a $4,381 family catastrophic cap (the 2026 cap; the 2027 cap is COLA-adjusted and unpublished as of this update) protecting the downside. If your family's doctors aren't in the Prime network, the few hundred dollars Select adds is usually worth it.
What the CY2027 Notice Actually Settled
DHA's notice of TRICARE plan program changes for calendar year 2027 (91 FR 59115, September 18, 2026) did two things and skipped a third.
It froze pharmacy copays. For 2027 a 30-day retail network fill stays at $16 generic, $48 brand-name, and $85 non-formulary, and a 90-day mail-order fill stays at $14, $44, and $85. The freeze is statutory, not discretionary: 10 U.S.C. 1074g(a)(6)(A) sets identical amounts for 2026 and 2027.
It listed the 2027 benefit changes. The notice lists seven benefit improvements that apply in calendar 2027, some already implemented during 2026 (the ablative fractional laser benefit carries a February 24, 2026 effective date), including liver transplants for metastatic colorectal cancer and peripheral nerve stimulation, plus vertebral body tethering under provisional coverage. Provisional coverage is not the same as a new permanent benefit; the notice keeps them in separate sections.
It set no enrollment fees, deductibles, or catastrophic caps. The notice says those amounts "are adjusted annually by Federal law and regulations based on the annual Cost of Living Adjustment" and that the COLA-adjusted figures will post to tricare.mil/changes before open season starts. The last input to that COLA is the September Consumer Price Index, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases October 14, 2026. The notice itself names no publication date, so watch tricare.mil/changes rather than the calendar.
The Comparison Nobody Publishes: All-In Family Cost vs FEHB
For a Group A military retiree family with moderate usage, the real annual picture looks like this:
| Coverage | Annual cost basis | All-in estimate (family, moderate use) |
|---|---|---|
| TRICARE Prime | $765 fee + ~$456 cost-shares | ~$1,221 |
| TRICARE Select | $375 fee + $300 deductible + ~$820 cost-shares | ~$1,495 |
| BCBS Basic (FEHB) | $9,278 premium (employee share) | $9,278 + cost-shares |
| Aetna Direct (FEHB) | ~$7,480 premium | $7,480 + cost-shares |
| GEHA Standard (FEHB) | ~$6,018 premium | $6,018 + cost-shares |
That's a $5,000-to-$8,000 annual gap before FEHB cost-shares even start, and it widened after the 12.3% average FEHB premium increase for 2026. For the full plan-by-plan tradeoff, run your own numbers in our TRICARE vs FEHB comparison tool.
So why does anyone dual-eligible keep FEHB? Three legitimate reasons: provider networks TRICARE doesn't reach, the FEHB-into-retirement strategy below, and family members who lose TRICARE eligibility.
The Suspend-vs-Cancel Trap (Read This Twice)
This is the most misunderstood rule in the dual-eligible world, and it splits on one question: are you still working?
Working federal employee: You cannot suspend FEHB to use TRICARE. Your only options are keeping FEHB or canceling it. Cancellation is a real decision: you can re-enroll at a future Open Season, but if you're near retirement, gaps create risk against the requirement that you're enrolled in FEHB on your retirement date.
Federal annuitant (retired): You can suspend FEHB specifically to use TRICARE, using form RI 79-9. Suspension preserves your right to re-enroll during any future Open Season, or immediately if you involuntarily lose TRICARE. This is the flexibility play: $0 FEHB premiums while TRICARE covers you, with the FEHB safety net intact.
The 5-year rule bridge: TRICARE coverage counts toward the FEHB five-year test for carrying coverage into retirement. The standard strategy for a military retiree in federal service: use TRICARE while working, then enroll in FEHB at the last Open Season before your federal retirement date. You retire FEHB-eligible, then suspend it as an annuitant if TRICARE still makes sense. We cover the mechanics in our TRICARE vs FEHB guide for military retirees.
One more wrinkle for postal workers: PSHB replaced FEHB for USPS employees in 2025, and its suspension rules mirror FEHB's, but confirm with the PSHB program before assuming.
Your Open Season Decision Checklist
- October 14 to November 9: The September CPI publishes October 14; it is the last input to the COLA that sets 2027 enrollment fees, deductibles, and catastrophic caps. DHA posts those to tricare.mil/changes before open season opens November 9. Pharmacy copays are already settled, frozen at 2026 rates by statute through 2027.
- Check your providers against the Prime network before defaulting to the cheaper enrollment fee. Select's flexibility is cheap insurance.
- If you're within 5 years of federal retirement: map your FEHB enrollment timing now. The 5-year rule rewards planning, not improvisation.
- If you're an annuitant on FEHB considering TRICARE: suspension via RI 79-9, not cancellation. OPM accepts a suspension at any time, so file it so the effective date lines up with your TRICARE start (the TRICARE side closes December 8), and finish any FEHB Open Season election by December 14.
- Age 64? Prime and Select end at 65 when TRICARE For Life takes over (with Medicare A+B). Your Open Season choice is a short-timer decision.
Compare Your Actual Costs
Use our free TRICARE vs FEHB Calculator to compare your real annual costs across both programs based on your family size and usage, and check the FEHB Calculator if you're weighing specific FEHB plans for the retirement bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is TRICARE Open Season for 2027 coverage?
November 9 through December 8, 2026, with changes effective January 1, 2027. Federal Benefits Open Season for FEHB runs November 9 through December 14, six days longer. Dual-eligible families coordinating both programs should complete the TRICARE side by December 8 and the FEHB side by December 14.
Can I suspend my FEHB coverage to use TRICARE while still working?
No. Active federal employees can only cancel FEHB, not suspend it. Suspension via form RI 79-9 is available only to annuitants (federal retirees). This distinction matters because a retiree who suspends FEHB can re-enroll in a future Open Season, while cancellation as an employee creates re-enrollment complications and can jeopardize carrying FEHB into retirement.
Does time under TRICARE count toward the FEHB 5-year rule?
Yes. TRICARE coverage counts toward the 5-year requirement for carrying FEHB into retirement, but you must actually be enrolled in FEHB on your retirement date. The common play: stay on TRICARE while working, then pick up FEHB at the last Open Season before you retire.
How much will 2027 TRICARE fees be?
Partly answered. DHA published the CY2027 program-changes notice on September 18, 2026 (91 FR 59115), and it froze pharmacy copays at 2026 rates: $16 generic, $48 brand-name, and $85 non-formulary for a 30-day retail network fill, and $14, $44, and $85 for a 90-day mail-order fill. The freeze is statutory: 10 U.S.C. 1074g(a)(6)(A) sets identical amounts for 2026 and 2027. But the notice set no 2027 enrollment fee, deductible, or catastrophic cap. Those are COLA-adjusted, and DHA says it will post them to tricare.mil/changes before open season opens November 9. Plan with the 2026 baseline until then: $765 per year for Group A Prime family coverage, $375 for Select family enrollment.
Why weren't the 2027 TRICARE enrollment fees published with everything else?
Because they are indexed to the annual cost-of-living adjustment, and the COLA cannot be computed until the last inflation reading is in. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases September's Consumer Price Index on October 14, 2026, and that is the final data point. DHA's notice states that enrollment fees, premiums, catastrophic caps, deductibles, and copayments are adjusted annually based on the COLA, and that the COLA-adjusted amounts will post to tricare.mil/changes before open season starts. The notice names no publication date, so watch tricare.mil/changes rather than any specific day in October.
Which open season deadline comes first, TRICARE or FEHB?
TRICARE. TRICARE Open Season closes December 8, 2026. FEHB Open Season closes December 14, 2026, because 5 CFR 890.301(f)(1) runs it through the Monday of the second full workweek in December. That is a six-day gap, and it runs in the direction most people assume backward: the TRICARE window is the tighter one. If you are coordinating both, finish the TRICARE change by December 8 and any FEHB Open Season election by December 14, in that order. An annuitant's FEHB suspension to use TRICARE is not an Open Season action: OPM accepts it at any time, so line up its effective date and paperwork separately.
Is TRICARE really cheaper than FEHB for a military retiree family?
On enrollment costs alone, dramatically. A Group A retiree family pays about $1,221 all-in for moderate use under Prime versus $9,278 in premiums alone for BCBS Basic Self and Family. The tradeoff is provider network flexibility, which is why the Prime vs Select choice matters more than the TRICARE vs FEHB choice for most dual-eligibles.
Related Resources
- TRICARE vs FEHB Calculator: Side-by-side annual cost comparison
- TRICARE vs FEHB for Military Retirees in Federal Jobs: The full dual-eligible guide
- TRICARE Costs for Retirees in 2026: The current fee baseline
- TRICARE Retired Reserve Costs: For gray-area retirees under 60
Sources: TRICARE: Notice of TRICARE Plan Program Changes for Calendar Year 2027, 91 FR 59115 (September 18, 2026), TRICARE Open Season, 10 U.S.C. 1074g (pharmacy copays), 5 CFR 890.301 (FEHB open season), BLS CPI release schedule, TRICARE 2026 Costs and Fees Fact Sheet, OPM FEHB/TRICARE FAQ, 5 CFR 890.807.