Healthcare Affordability Series Part 8: Enrollment Flexibility for Two-Person Families Can Lead to Premium Savings
Two-person families, either a married couple or a parent with a dependent child, can enroll in an FEHB plan as either self-plus-one or self & family. Most of the time, self-plus-one is cheaper, but there are plans where you’ll save more enrolling as self & family.
Which Plans Have Lower Self & Family Premiums?
For plan-year 2026, there are 39 FEHB plans where self & family enrollment is less expensive, and nine plans where the premiums are the same.
How Much Could You Save?
Depending on your plan, there could be a substantial difference between the two premiums. For example, the greatest savings can be found in the D.C. area’s Kaiser High (E3) plan, where you would pay $66.86 less bi-weekly by enrolling as self & family, which adds up to $1,738 annually.
Check the very last page of any official FEHB plan brochure to compare the enrollee share of premium for self-plus-one vs self & family. You’ll receive the same benefits regardless of how you enroll, so choose the cheaper option.
In Summary
For two-person families, how you enroll in your FEHB plan can lead to a cheaper premium. Make sure you check each option during Open Season because it could change from one year to the next. The official plan brochure or the carrier website are easy places where you can learn which enrollment option is least expensive. And remember, you get the same FEHB plan benefits regardless of how you enroll.
This is the last installment of my affordability series this year, and I hope you enjoyed it. The areas that we covered are evergreen ways to save money, and the tips apply both this year and into the future. OPM will release 2027 plan information by the end of September, and I’ll start informing you of the big changes in FEHB that could impact you next year.
