Coverage gaps & costs.

OPM Is Asking Whether to Cut the Number of FEHB Plans

A September 15 request for information asks whether FEHB carriers should offer more, fewer, or different plan options. Nothing changes for 2027.

TrumpRx for FEHB Enrollees: When It Actually Saves Money

TrumpRx sells select drugs at discounted cash prices, but purchases do not count toward your FEHB deductible or out-of-pocket limit.

FEHB During Leave Without Pay

Your FEHB can continue for up to 365 days of leave without pay, but your share of the premium becomes a debt. How to pay it and protect the five-year rule.

Retiring Abroad as a Federal Annuitant

FEHB follows you but works differently — you pay providers and claim reimbursement. Medicare covers nothing outside the US. Your annuity is still taxable, and the FEIE does not help.

GLP-1 Coverage in FEHB: What Changes for 2027

Every plan must cover at least one, but 2027 adds a documented behavioral therapy requirement before and during coverage — and the drug tier matters more than the premium line.

Retiring at 57: The Eight Years to Medicare, and How to Pay for Them

A fixed annuity, no COLA until 62, FEHB premiums rising every January, and the supplement ending halfway through. What it costs, why FEHB still beats every alternative, and the IRMAA decision at 63.

FEHB 2027: What’s Already Decided (and What You’re Still Waiting On)

What Medicare Doesn’t Cover: The Gaps and How to Fill Them (2026)

Dental, vision, hearing, long-term care — and no out-of-pocket cap. Every gap, what each costs, how to fill it, and the federal FEHB advantage.

Long-Term Care Costs & Planning: The 2026 Guide for Federal Retirees

Long-term care can run $115k a year and Medicare won’t touch it. The 2026 costs, the four ways to pay, the FLTCIP suspension — and a cost projector.

Retiring Before 65: How to Bridge Healthcare Coverage Until Medicare

Bridging the gap to Medicare when you retire early — and in 2026 the ACA subsidy cliff is back. FEHB continuation, COBRA, and Marketplace plans compared, with a cost calculator.

The $172,500 Healthcare Bill Most Americans Don’t See Coming

Fidelity’s 2025 estimate for a single 65-year-old — before long-term care. What the number includes, the seven things Medicare doesn’t cover, the HSA strategy, and how FEHB changes the math for federal retirees.

The Hidden Medicare Surcharge Hitting Retirees Over $109K

IRMAA adds $1,148 to $6,936 per person above $109K single / $218K MFJ. The full 2026 bracket table, the two-year lookback, the cliff effect, and the Form SSA-44 appeal most retirees never file.

FEHB’s New Family-Member Verification Rule

Since July 1, 2026, you must prove eligibility for any family member you add — every time, including Open Season. Who’s eligible, the married-12-months second-proof trap, the ex-spouse trap, and an eligibility checker.

The FLTCIP Is Closed: The Long-Term Care Gap

The federal LTC insurance program has been shut to new enrollees since 2022 — and Medicare and FEHB don’t cover custodial care. Why it’s frozen, your alternatives, and a funding-gap calculator.