2027 PSHB Rates: Compare Your Plan

The 2027 Postal Service Health Benefits rates are now official, and postal employees need to look closely at their current plan before Open Season. OPM reports that PSHB will offer 65 plan options from 17 carriers in 2027. Across the program, total premiums are increasing an average of 6.7 percent, while the average enrollee share will increase 8.2 percent. That is lower than 2026, when the average enrollee share increased 11.3 percent and overall PSHB premiums increased 9.0 percent, but it still means higher costs for many employees and retirees. U.S. Office of Personnel Management

The most important thing to understand is that 8.2 percent is only an average. Individual plans vary dramatically, as the accompanying infographic shows. APWU Consumer Driven Option increases are considerably smaller than the APWU High Option increases, while the MHBP Standard Option shows some of the largest dollar increases among the nationwide plans displayed. GEHA HDHP and Standard show no employee premium increase in the comparison, while NALC High Option actually decreases by $5.08 biweekly for Self Only and $3.31 for Self Plus One, with Self and Family increasing $2.95. The differences make it clear that members should not assume their current plan remains the best financial choice simply because they were satisfied with it in 2026.

The 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026. If you make no change, your existing PSHB enrollment generally continues into 2027, but OPM is encouraging enrollees to compare their options. Look beyond the premium alone. Review deductibles, copays, coinsurance, provider networks, prescription coverage, and maximum out-of-pocket costs before making a decision. In some PSHB plans, Self Plus One can even cost more than Self and Family, so compare every enrollment category available to you. U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Do not wait until the first 2027 paycheck to find out what your health coverage is costing you. Review the rates, study your plan, compare your options, and make an informed decision during Open Season.

 

Vote-by-Mail Rules Blocked for 2026

Postal workers can continue handling Election Mail under the procedures already in place for the 2026 midterm elections after the U.S. Supreme Court denied the government’s request to put new Postal Service ballot-mail rules into effect. In a 7-2 decision issued September 14, the Court left a lower-court injunction in place, finding that the government was unlikely to succeed on its challenge to that injunction and that the factors required for emergency relief did not support putting the rule into effect now. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.

For postal workers, the immediate result is straightforward. We continue doing what we have always done: process, transport, and deliver Election Mail according to established procedures. The Postal Service itself reported that it handled at least 99.22 million ballots during the 2024 general election period, with 99.88 percent of ballots from voters delivered to election officials within seven days. USPS also reported delivering 54.4 million ballots during the 2022 midterm election period, with 98.96 percent reaching election officials within three days.

National APWU has opposed the new ballot-mail requirements from the beginning. The union argued that the executive order and the Postal Service rule that followed were unprincipled, unlawful, and unworkable. APWU’s position has been that postal workers should move Election Mail, not be placed in the position of determining voter eligibility or deciding whether individual ballots can enter the mailstream. The union also filed an amicus brief challenging the legal basis for the changes and arguing that the new system interfered with state authority over elections. APWU publicly welcomed the Supreme Court’s September 14 action and emphasized that postal workers can continue using procedures that have already been tested in prior elections.

The rule that was blocked would have required federal ballot mail to use special envelope features, including an Election Mail logo, machine-readable characteristics, and a voter-specific barcode. States also would have been required to submit voter information through a Postal Service portal. Mail that failed to satisfy the requirements could have been returned rather than accepted.

There is an important distinction members should understand. The Supreme Court’s September 14 action came through an emergency application for a stay. It keeps the rule from taking effect for the 2026 elections, but it does not necessarily settle every underlying legal question permanently. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote separately that the Postal Service may ultimately have statutory authority to issue such a rule, but concluded that implementing it this close to the 2026 elections would be improper because state and local election officials did not have enough time to comply.

That is why National APWU is saying the issue is not finished. APWU President Jonathan Smith has called on the Postal Service Board of Governors to act so the disputed rule does not return in another election cycle. National is asking members and the public to contact the Board of Governors and urge it to permanently end the measure.

As postal workers, our responsibility remains clear. Our job is to move the mail entrusted to us safely, securely, and on time. Election Mail is no different. Whatever political disagreements surround Vote-by-Mail, postal workers should not be pulled into determining who is eligible to vote. Our responsibility is the mail.

The Supreme Court’s action keeps the existing process in place for 2026. What happens beyond this election will depend on how the remaining legal and Postal Service issues are resolved. Members should stay informed, follow National APWU updates, and understand that changes involving Election Mail can directly affect our work, our responsibilities, and the public trust placed in the Postal Service.

USPS Finances: Protect Your Retirement

READ THIS: https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/retirement-planning/usps-postal-workers-retirement-options

Postal workers have every reason to pay attention to the Postal Service’s growing financial problems, especially when those problems begin touching retirement funding and long-term financial security. A recent Kiplinger article examines USPS cash-flow pressures, deferred employer retirement obligations, ongoing restructuring under Delivering for America, and what those developments could mean for employees planning for retirement. The article makes clear that individual TSP accounts are not being raided and earned pensions have not disappeared, but it also raises important questions about how USPS will address missed retirement contributions, future obligations, staffing changes, and the financial stability of the Postal Service. For employees, this is more than another financial headline. It is a reminder to understand your FERS pension, TSP, Social Security, health coverage, and retirement options before future changes force decisions under pressure.