What changed for feds in 2026

1. Pay

• 2026 raise: 1% for most employees, 3.8% for law enforcement.
• 2027 raise: 0% proposed in the President’s August 26 plan, 3.8% for law enforcement. Not final until December. See retire now or wait.

2. Retirement and OPM

• 2026 COLA: 2.8% for CSRS, 2.0% for FERS.
• 2027 COLA: 3.6% for CSRS and Social Security, 2.6% for FERS 62 and older, from January. See the official numbers.
• Retirement went digital. OPM’s “Last Day of Paper” was July 1. See what changed.
• The backlog fell. From a record 65,237 claims in February to 8,814 in September, with a 66-day average. See retiring at the end of 2026.

3. Health insurance and Medicare

• FEHB premiums: +12.3% for 2026, +10.9% for 2027. PSHB +8.2% for 2027. See FEHB 2027.
• Nine FEHB plans are leaving for 2027. If yours is one, you must pick a new plan.
• FEDVIP 2027: dental +1.0%, vision +1.6%.
• GLP-1 weight-loss drugs: FEHB plans must require documented behavioral therapy in 2027. See GLP-1 coverage in FEHB.
• Medicare 2026: Part B $202.90 a month; Part D out-of-pocket cap $2,100. 2027 Part B is projected at $209.50. See the projection.
• Medicare GLP-1 Bridge: $50 a month from July 1, through 2027, for Part D enrollees. See who qualifies.

4. TSP

• Roth in-plan conversions arrived in January. See how they work.
• Roth catch-up rule: if your 2025 wages were over $150,000, your 2026 catch-ups must be Roth. See catch-up contributions.
• 2027 limits come in early November; projected $25,500. See 2027 limits.
• A record 224,420 TSP millionaires as of July 1. See TSP millionaires.

5. Jobs and job protections

• RIFs: for RIF notices issued since September 2, performance ratings decide who stays; seniority only breaks ties. See RIFs: seniority no longer wins.
• RIF appeals now go to OPM, not the MSPB. See the 30-day clock.
• Performance ratings: OPM finalized limits on top ratings, effective January 1, 2027. See forced ratings and your RIF score.

6. Still unsettled

• The 2027 pay freeze: Congress could still add a raise in the December spending bill.
• FLTCIP: federal long-term care insurance has been closed to new applicants since December 2024. See what to do instead.
• 2027 Part B and IRMAA are set by CMS in November. See the IRMAA preview.

Picking a 2027 plan? Warrior Insure’s Open Season guide and its FLTCIP alternatives help. Still working? Federal Warrior on the 2027 raise. On VA disability? Warrior Disability on the 2027 VA COLA.

7. Frequently asked questions