Last Updated: August 24, 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, and the one-day deadline mismatch that can bite dual-eligible families.

The Dates, and the One-Day Trap

Date Event
October 2026 (expected) DHA publishes official 2027 TRICARE fees
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 mismatch matters for one group: federal retirees coordinating an FEHB suspension with a TRICARE change. If you plan the TRICARE side on December 8, your FEHB window closed the day before. Do both by December 7.

What Switching Costs: The 2026 Baseline Numbers

The 2027 fee schedule lands in October. Until then, plan with the 2026 numbers (Group A means the sponsor entered service before January 1, 2018, which covers nearly all current retirees):

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 protecting the downside. If your family's doctors aren't in the Prime network, the few hundred dollars Select adds is usually worth it.

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

  1. October: Watch for the 2027 fee schedule at tricare.mil. Increases have tracked COLA (2-4%).
  2. Check your providers against the Prime network before defaulting to the cheaper enrollment fee. Select's flexibility is cheap insurance.
  3. If you're within 5 years of federal retirement: map your FEHB enrollment timing now. The 5-year rule rewards planning, not improvisation.
  4. If you're an annuitant on FEHB considering TRICARE: suspension via RI 79-9, not cancellation, and complete it by December 14 (the FEHB deadline; the TRICARE side closes December 8).
  5. 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?

The 2027 fee schedule has not been published yet; DHA typically releases it in October. Plan with the 2026 baseline: Group A retirees pay $765 per year for Prime family coverage or $375 for Select family enrollment, and increases have historically tracked COLA at roughly 2 to 4 percent.

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.

Sources: TRICARE Open Season, TRICARE 2026 Costs and Fees Fact Sheet, OPM FEHB/TRICARE FAQ, 5 CFR 890.807.