Kaiser Permanente - Northern California, High Option: 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 TBA | $200.19 gov $318.23 | $433.74 | $433.74 | +$19.03 biweekly (+10.5%) | $5,205 |
| Self Plus One code TBC | $548.18 gov $689.34 | $1,187.72 | $1,187.72 | +$46.03 biweekly (+9.2%) | $14,253 |
| Self and Family code TBB | $488.97 gov $748.55 | $1,059.43 | $1,059.43 | +$41.62 biweekly (+9.3%) | $12,713 |
Traditional, HMO network. Offered in California (11 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 | None out of network Not applicable | None out of network Not applicable | None out of network Not applicable |
| Out-of-pocket maximum | $5,000 out of network Not applicable | $10,000 out of network Not applicable | $10,000 out of network Not applicable |
What you pay for care, in and out of network
| Service | In network | Out of network |
|---|---|---|
| VISITS | ||
| Preventive care | Member Pays Nothing | Member Pays All Charges |
| Primary care visit | $20 Copayment | Member Pays All Charges |
| Specialist visit | $30 Copayment | Member Pays All Charges |
| Urgent care | $20 Copayment | $20 Copayment |
| Emergency room | $250 Copayment (Nothing the first 9 months after a rape or sexual assault) | $250 Copayment |
| Labs and X-rays | $10 Copayment $20 for X-rays | Member Pays All Charges |
| CT, MRI, PET | $25 Copayment | Member Pays All Charges |
| Hospital stay, per admission | $500 Copayment | Member Pays All Charges |
| Hospital room | Member Pays Nothing | Member Pays All Charges |
| Surgeon, inpatient | Member Pays Nothing | Member Pays All Charges |
| Outpatient surgery | Member Pays Nothing | Member Pays All Charges |
| Mental health, office | $20 Copayment $10 per group office visit | Member Pays All Charges |
| Mental health, inpatient | $500 Copayment per admit | Member Pays All Charges |
| Physical therapy | $20 Copayment | Member Pays All Charges |
| Chiropractic | $15 Copayment Up to 20 visits per calendar year with an American Specialty Health network chiropractor. | Member Pays All Charges |
| Acupuncture | $20 Copayment Basic benefit for pain relief and nausea | Member Pays All Charges |
| Maternity care | Member Pays Nothing | Member Pays All Charges |
| Maternity hospital stay | $500 Copayment per admit | Member Pays All Charges |
| Infertility diagnosis and treatment | $30 Copayment Your cost-sharing responsibilities are no greater than for other illness or condition. | Member Pays All Charges |
| IVF and assisted reproduction | $150 Copayment Your cost-sharing responsibilities are no greater than for other illness or condition. | Member Pays All Charges |
| Hearing aids | Covered Children thru age 17, $1000 for each hearing impaired ear every 36 months | Not Covered |
| Durable medical equipment | 20% Coinsurance | Member Pays All Charges |
| Home health | Member Pays Nothing | Member Pays All Charges |
| Adult dental exams | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Children's dental exams | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| Routine eye exam | Covered | Not Covered |
| Eyeglasses | Not Covered | Not Covered |
| PRESCRIPTIONS | ||
| Tier 1 (usually generic) | Generic - $15 Copayment | Generic - 100% Coinsurance |
| Tier 2 | Preferred Brand - $50 Copayment | Preferred Brand - 100% Coinsurance |
| Tier 3 | Non-Preferred Brand - $50 Copayment | Non-Preferred Brand - 100% Coinsurance |
| Tier 4 | Preferred Specialty Tier - $125 Copayment | Preferred Specialty Tier - 100% Coinsurance |
| Mail order | No | No |
| Prescription out-of-pocket maximum, Self | None | Not listed |
| Prescription out-of-pocket maximum, family | None | Not listed |
| WITH MEDICARE | ||
| Part B premium reimbursement (Medicare Advantage option) | $3,000 | Not listed |
| 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 | $5,000 | Not applicable |
| Primary care with Parts A and B | $20 Copayment | Not applicable |
| Specialist with Parts A and B | $30 Copayment | Not applicable |
| Hospital stay with Parts A and B | $500 Copayment | Not applicable |
| 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
Kaiser Permanente - Northern California plan site · Summary of Benefits and Coverage · Brochure RI 73-921 (the official statement of benefits) · Every PSHB brochure · OPM premiums · What this brochure says about GLP-1 drugs · (800) 464-4000
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.
