Basic, Standard, Value, Focus, Elevate, and HDHP across MHBP, APWU, FEP Blue, and GEHA

How to use our Health Insurance reporting to your benefit

The landscape of your health insurance continues to change in a way that adds additional costs directly to you which will impact your savings and your monthly budget. Our information is based on what we see as the most widely used plans. You may find that other plans exists both inside and outside of the federal health platform that you want to explore. Keep in mind what works best for you is not just about budget, but also based on where you life, availability of services in your area and the health/utilization of you/family members. Use this guide to help get your thoughts organized and make sure to confirm your final decisions after reviewing all plan specifications in the plan brochure available provided by each insurer.

Consider re-thinking your approach to health care

As the cost burden shifts toward you as the Federal Employee, you may find that researching and understanding how to use the HDHP plus the HSA/HRA can be a longer term solution to help you lower current costs, accumulate more wealth and tax advantage of a triple tax deduction.

The Short Version

Four things that define Open Season for 2027 1.  The average FEHB enrollee premium rises 10.9% for 2027, on top of 12.3% last year. The government share rises only 8.6%, so enrollees absorb more of the increase than the headline suggests. 2.  MHBP ends its Value Plan and Consumer Option. Anyone who does nothing is moved into MHBP Standard, whose premium rose 63% Self Only and 105% Self Plus One. For a former Value Plan enrollee the increase runs well past 125%. This is the single most expensive mistake available this Open Season. 3.  GEHA held premiums flat on Standard, HDHP, and Elevate, and cut High Option by 14% ($709 a year Self Only). GEHA is the value story of 2027. 4.  Low-premium plans got riskier. Blue Cross raised out-of-pocket maximums across the board, and FEP Blue Focus now has an $11,000 ceiling Self Only.

Benefit Changes for 2027

Plan	What changed
MHBP Standard	Deductible rises to $500 / $1,000 (from $350 / $700). Out-of-pocket maximum rises to $8,000 / $16,000 (from $6,000 / $12,000). Primary care moves to $35 and specialist to $50 (from $20 and $30). The plan absorbs the Value and Consumer enrollees.
Blue Cross Standard	Deductible rises to $500 / $1,000. Out-of-pocket maximum rises to $7,000 / $14,000. Inpatient copay $450 per admission. Doula coverage added. Medicare drug program cap $2,400.
Blue Cross Basic	Out-of-pocket maximum rises to $8,500 / $17,000. Emergency room and inpatient copays move to $500 per day. Prior approval now required for MRI, PET, and CT.
FEP Blue Focus	Deductible rises to $1,000 / $2,000. Out-of-pocket maximum rises to $11,000 / $22,000. Maternity facility copay $3,000. Members lose eligibility for the FEP Medicare prescription program.
GEHA, all options	Deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums unchanged. New intensive behavioral therapy requirement for anti-obesity drugs. Medicare Part D catastrophic threshold $2,400. New member discount program.
APWU, both options	Deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, and the Personal Care Account amounts unchanged for 2027.
All carriers	Accredo becomes the Blue Cross specialty pharmacy in January. 2027 brochures publish at the start of Open Season — confirm anything load-bearing against them.

Quick Picks based on your needs

If you feel like you…	Consider….
Are healthy with savings and wants to build wealth	GEHA HDHP
Want the lowest cost but cannot use an HSA	APWU Consumer Driven
Want full network access at the lowest price	GEHA Standard
Are young, healthy, and stays in network	GEHA Elevate (254) or FEP Blue Focus
Hate deductibles and wants fixed copays	Blue Cross Basic
Have a chronic condition or specialty drugs	GEHA High
Is a retiree on Medicare A and B	GEHA High ($1,000 Part B), APWU High or Consumer Driven ($1,200 Part B), Blue Cross Basic ($800 Part B)
Travel or live where networks are thin	Blue Cross Standard
Are planning a pregnancy	GEHA Standard or Blue Cross Standard; avoid FEP Blue Focus
Are enrolled in MHBP Value or Consumer Option	Must choose actively — the default is a 63% to 175% increase

When to Use Each Plan

GEHA HDHP — the value leader

Use when: the client has savings, wants to build an HSA, and can stay in network or pay a bit more outside it.

• Lowest net premium and lowest worst year of any plan reviewed. GEHA deposits $1,000 Self Only or $2,000 family, which drops the effective deductible to $800 or $1,600.
• Only 5% coinsurance after the deductible — the most generous post-deductible share in the group.
• Premium unchanged for 2027, so it gained ground on every plan that rose.
• Skip it for clients on Medicare, TRICARE, or recent VA care, or whose spouse has a general-purpose health FSA. They get an HRA instead and lose the portability.

APWU Consumer Driven — the HDHP alternative for people who want money up front

Use when: the client likes the low premium but is not HSA-eligible, or wants the plan to pay first rather than save for later.

• The Personal Care Account pays the first $1,200 or $2,400 of claims in full, leaving a $1,000 or $2,000 net deductible. Balances roll over up to $5,000 or $10,000 while enrolled.
• Only $52 a year more than 2026, one of the smallest increases in the program.
• $6,500 out-of-pocket limit and 15% coinsurance, with $1,200 a year toward Part B for Medicare-eligible retirees.
• The account is plan-owned and forfeited if the client leaves. Requires APWU membership, about $35 a year for associates.
• No out-of-network prescription coverage at all.

GEHA Standard — the cheapest full-network plan

Use when: the client wants out-of-network coverage, fixed copays, and no deductible surprises, at the lowest price that still delivers them.

• No premium increase for 2027, which by itself beats most plans this year.
• $500 deductible, $35 primary care, $50 specialist, $10 generics, up to $250 in wellness rewards.
• The $8,000 out-of-pocket maximum is the weak spot — compare against APWU High or GEHA High for anyone expecting a heavy year.

GEHA Elevate — the healthy single person’s plan

Use when: the client is young or healthy, uses in-network care only, and values low copays over catastrophic protection.

• $10 primary care, $30 specialist, $10 generics, and up to $500 a year in wellness rewards — $1,000 for a family.
• Premium unchanged for 2027.
• In-network only, limited pharmacy network, no mail order, and a $10,600 out-of-pocket maximum. A bad year here is genuinely expensive.

FEP Blue Focus — cheapest premium, highest ceiling

Use when: the budget is the binding constraint and the client has few medical needs.

• Still the lowest nationwide premium at $74.16 biweekly, and $10 copays for the first ten office visits.
• 2027 made it riskier: deductible up to $1,000 and out-of-pocket maximum up to $11,000 Self Only.
• $3,000 maternity facility copay makes it a poor choice for anyone planning a pregnancy.
• Focus members lost access to the FEP Medicare prescription drug program for 2027.

Blue Cross Basic — predictability without a deductible

Use when: the client wants every cost to be a known copay, stays in network, and especially when they are on Medicare Part B.

• No deductible at any tier, with $35 primary care and $50 specialist copays.
• Up to $800 a year reimbursed on Medicare Part B, which makes it a common retiree pairing.
• In-network only except emergencies. The 2027 out-of-pocket maximum rose to $8,500, and ER and inpatient copays moved to $500 per day.

MHBP Standard — now a plan to leave, not to join

Use when: rarely. The combination of a 63% premium increase and weaker benefits removes most of the case for it.

• Premium up $1,540 a year Self Only and $5,893 Self Plus One, while the deductible rose to $500, the out-of-pocket maximum to $8,000, and copays to $35 and $50.
• Its remaining strength is 10% coinsurance after the deductible, the lowest here, which helps in a high-claims year.
• Action item: every client in MHBP Value or Consumer Option must actively choose a plan. Doing nothing lands them here at a sharply higher price.

GEHA High — the one plan that got cheaper

Use when: the client has heavy, predictable needs, specialty prescriptions, or is a Medicare-eligible retiree.

• Premium fell 14%, saving $709 a year Self Only and $1,711 at Self and Family.
• Specialty drugs capped at $350 a fill — the best specialty coverage in this group.
• $1,000 a year toward Medicare Part B, and Medicare-covered cost sharing waived for retirees.
• $30 primary care and $45 specialist with full out-of-network coverage.

APWU High — predictability at a steep new price

Use when: the client needs out-of-network access and fixed costs, and is Medicare-eligible enough to use the $1,200 Part B reimbursement.

• $25 for any doctor, primary care or specialist, and the lowest out-of-pocket maximum reviewed at $6,500.
• Up 37% for 2027, which costs an active Self Only enrollee $1,346 more than last year.
• For an active employee without Medicare, GEHA High now delivers similar coverage for $622 less a year.

Blue Cross Standard — the default that keeps costing more

Use when: the client travels, lives where other networks are thin, or wants the broadest provider access in the program.

• The largest network in FEHB and full out-of-network coverage at 35%.
• $30 primary care, $40 specialist, $450 per hospital admission, $7.50 generics.
• No Part B reimbursement, unlike Basic. Many Medicare-eligible retirees should compare Basic and GEHA High before renewing here.

GEHA Elevate Plus — hard to justify in 2027

Use when: the client wants the smallest deductible in the program and will not leave the network.

• $200 deductible, $30 primary care, $50 specialist, up to $500 in wellness rewards.
• Premium rose 28% to $262.63 biweekly — the most expensive plan reviewed, at $6,828 a year.
• Its worst year, $13,828, is the highest of any plan here. Paying the most does not buy the most protection.

Notes

• 2027 premiums come from OPM’s published rate tables, released September 29–30, 2026, and were cross-checked against carrier announcements and independent summaries.
• 2027 brochures are not published until Open Season opens on November 9. GEHA’s 2027 figures come from GEHA’s own published guide. Blue Cross 2027 deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums come from the carrier’s own what-is-new page. MHBP and APWU 2027 benefit details come from OPM plan data compiled by a third party and should be re-verified against the brochures when they post.
• All figures are non-postal. Postal employees are in PSHB, where the same carriers price differently and MHBP keeps its Value Option.
• APWU Health Plan requires APWU membership; associate membership runs about $35 a year.
• Cost estimates are illustrative models built on stated assumptions, not quotes, and nothing here is individualized insurance advice.

All attempts have been made to provide the most accurate information that summarizes the rules, regulations, laws and taxes that may affect your retirement and your federal benefits.  Our articles are intended to provide simple and concise overviews of the selected topic so that you can find the most relevant information for your specific needs.  For complete detailed explanations of each topic we encourage you to visit www.opm.gov.  FERS101 does not provide tax, legal, insurance or investment advice and all individuals are encouraged to consult with qualified professional with regard to their personal situation. FERS101 is not affiliated with the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. The information provided is not approved, produced or endorsed by the U.S. Government.