CAREFIRST BLUECHOICE, INC., HDHP: 2027 PSHB premiums and benefits
Federal Benefits Open Season for plan year 2027 runs November 9 to December 14, 2026.
* Three PSHB options end after 2026: GEHA High, MHBP Consumer, and UnitedHealthcare Postal East. If you are in one, choose a plan by December 14. See what ends| Enrollment | Employee, biweekly | Employee, monthly | Annuitant, monthly | Change in your share vs 2026 | Employee, per year (26 periods) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self Only code K4A | $101.22 gov $303.67 | $219.31 | $219.31 | +$13.20 biweekly (+15.0%) | $2,632 |
| Self Plus One code K4C | $202.44 gov $607.34 | $438.63 | $438.63 | +$26.40 biweekly (+15.0%) | $5,263 |
| Self and Family code K4B | $240.50 gov $721.51 | $521.09 | $521.09 | +$31.37 biweekly (+15.0%) | $6,253 |
HDHP, HMO/POS network. Offered in District of Columbia (statewide); Maryland (statewide); Virginia (4 counties). A regional plan: open to anyone eligible for PSHB who lives in its service area (some plans also take people who work there). The county list is on the comparison page. The government share is the lesser of 72% of the PSHB program-wide average premium or 75% of this plan's premium (OPM). Employee figures are OPM's rate for active postal employees; USPS non-career employees and some union contracts differ.
Educational information only; StandWatch is not acting for OPM or the Postal Service, and the brochure and the HR Shared Service Center are the final authority. Same code and assumptions as the comparison page: worst year is exact (premiums plus the in-network out-of-pocket maximum, minus an HSA deposit); the other three are estimates under stated usage profiles, each labeled copays only, has coinsurance, or not priced.
Deductibles and limits
| Self Only | Self Plus One | Self and Family | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deductible | $1,750 out of network $3,500 | $3,500 out of network $7,000 | $3,500 out of network $7,000 |
| Out-of-pocket maximum | $7,500 out of network $9,500 | $15,000 out of network $19,000 | $15,000 out of network $19,000 |
| Health Savings Account contribution How it works, who can have one | $900 | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Deductible after the account | $850 | $1,700 | $1,700 |
What you pay for care, in and out of network
| Service | In network | Out of network |
|---|---|---|
| VISITS | ||
| Preventive care | Member Pays Nothing | $0 Copayment after deductible |
| Primary care visit | $0 Copayment after deductible | $80 Copayment after deductible |
| Specialist visit | $35 Copayment after deductible | $80 Copayment after deductible |
| Urgent care | $50 Copayment after deductible | $50 Copayment after deductible |
| Emergency room | $300 Copayment after deductible | $300 Copayment after deductible |
| Labs and X-rays | $35 Copayment after deductible | 20% Coinsurance after deductible |
| CT, MRI, PET | $75 Copayment after deductible | 20% Coinsurance after deductible |
| Hospital stay, per admission | 20% Coinsurance after deductible | 30% Coinsurance after deductible |
| Hospital room | 20% Coinsurance after deductible | 30% Coinsurance after deductible |
| Surgeon, inpatient | 20% Coinsurance after deductible | 30% Coinsurance after deductible |
| Outpatient surgery | $35 Copayment after deductible | $80 Copayment after deductible |
| Mental health, office | $0 Copayment after deductible | $80 Copayment after deductible |
| Mental health, inpatient | 20% Coinsurance after deductible | 30% Coinsurance after deductible |
| Physical therapy | $35 Copayment after deductible | $80 Copayment after deductible |
| Chiropractic | $35 Copayment after deductible | $80 Copayment after deductible |
| Acupuncture | $35 Copayment after deductible. Limited to 20 visits per Benefit Period. | $80 Copayment after deductible. Limited to 20 visits per Benefit Period. |
| Maternity care | $0 Copayment after deductible Preventive- No charge and Professional Services at Delivery - 20% after deductible | $0 Copayment after deductible and Professional Services at Delivery - 30% after deductible |
| Maternity hospital stay | 20% Coinsurance after deductible | 30% Coinsurance after deductible |
| Infertility diagnosis and treatment | $35 Copayment after deductible | $80 Copayment after deductible |
| IVF and assisted reproduction | 20% Coinsurance Services are paid at regular Plan benefits. | 30% Coinsurance Services are paid at regular Plan benefits. |
| Hearing aids | Covered after deductible. Limited to $3,000 combined in and out of network payment per 36 months. | Covered after deductible. Limited to $3,000 combined in and out of network payment per 36 months. |
| Durable medical equipment | 25% Coinsurance after deductible | 25% Coinsurance after deductible |
| Home health | $35 Copayment after deductible | $80 Copayment after deductible |
| Adult dental exams | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Children's dental exams | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Routine eye exam | Covered | Covered |
| Eyeglasses | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| PRESCRIPTIONS | ||
| Tier 1 (usually generic) | Generic - $0 Copayment | Generic - $0 Copayment |
| Tier 2 | Preferred Brand - $50 Copayment | Preferred Brand - $0 Copayment |
| Tier 3 | Non-Preferred Brand - $75 Copayment | Non-Preferred Brand - $0 Copayment |
| Tier 4 | Preferred Specialty Tier - $100 Copayment | Preferred Specialty Tier - $0 Copayment |
| Mail order | Yes | Yes |
| Prescription out-of-pocket maximum, Self | $7,500 | Not listed |
| Prescription out-of-pocket maximum, family | $15,000 | Not listed |
| WITH MEDICARE | ||
| Part B premium reimbursement (prescription drug plan) | None | Not listed |
| Part D drug plan: most you pay in a year | $2,400 | Not listed |
| Deductible with Parts A and B | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Out-of-pocket maximum with Parts A and B | $7,500 | $17,000 |
| Primary care with Parts A and B | Member Pays Nothing | $0 Copayment |
| Specialist with Parts A and B | Member Pays Nothing | $0 Copayment |
| Hospital stay with Parts A and B | Member Pays Nothing | 30% Coinsurance |
| Part B reimbursement with Parts A and B | Not applicable | Not applicable |
OPM's summary of the plan's cost sharing. The small print under a figure is OPM's own wording and usually carries the real terms: per-day charges, caps, and whether the deductible applies. The brochure is the official statement of benefits.
Official pages
CAREFIRST BLUECHOICE, INC. plan site · Summary of Benefits and Coverage · Brochure RI 73-913 (the official statement of benefits) · Every PSHB brochure · OPM premiums · What this brochure says about GLP-1 drugs · (833) 489-1316
Before you enroll
Not the official statement of benefits. This plan's brochure is the only contractual statement of what it covers, excludes, and limits. Where this page and the brochure disagree, the brochure governs. Read it before you enroll.
Estimates, under published assumptions. Premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums are OPM's figures. The year-cost figures are estimates under the usage profiles and assumed charges published on the comparison page, labeled exact, copays only, has coinsurance, or not priced. They are not predictions of what you will spend.
What the model leaves out. Out-of-network care and balance billing, whether your own doctors take this plan, whether your medications are on its formulary and at which tier, referral and prior-authorization rules, mail-order and specialty pharmacy pricing, FEDVIP dental and vision, and Medicare coordination at 65 beyond the rows shown. Postal Service employees and annuitants are in a separate program and are not covered.
No affiliation. StandWatch is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for the U.S. Postal Service, the Office of Personnel Management, or any federal agency. The plan data is OPM's; the arrangement is ours. StandWatch is not a health plan, a broker, or an insurer, and nothing here is a recommendation to select, keep, or drop any plan, or medical, insurance, financial, tax, or legal advice. The full educational-purpose statement.
Source: OPM PSHB Public Use Files, plan year 2027 (rates, plan key, plan benefits, service area), and the OPM PSHB premium charts for the change from 2026.
