Federal Employees, Retirees Should Review Dental & Vision Insurance Needs During Open Season

Federal employees and retirees (annuitants) have access to dental and vision insurance offered through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Program (FEDVIP). FEDVIP is a voluntary enrollee-pay-all dental and vision insurance program available to federal employees and retirees and to retired uniform services members and active-duty members. FEDVIP is sponsored by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). During 2026, FEDVIP offers eligible participants a choice of 12 dental and five vision insurance carriers.

BENEFEDS (https://www.benefeds.com) administers the enrollment and premium payment processes on behalf of the FEDVIP insurance carriers. Enrollment in the FEDVIP, change of dental or vision insurance plan and disenrollment from a FEDVIP dental or vision insurance plan are made during the annual open season.

READ:  2026 Federal Benefits Open Season Options

Eligibility for FEDVIP

The FEDVIP is available to eligible federal service and postal service employees, annuitants, survivor annuitants and compensationers. FEDVIP eligibility also includes retired uniformed service members and their family members, and survivors.

Eligibility for the FEDVIP depends on an individual’s affiliation with the federal government. The individual must use the same affiliation to enroll in dental and vision. Eligible employees or annuitants, (including survivor annuitants) who are dually eligible must enroll under one affiliation. Under FEDVIP rules, they cannot be covered under more than one dental insurance plan as a federal (civilian employee or retiree) and as a uniformed services member. If it is determined an employee, a retiree or any of eligible family members is enrolled under more than one FEDVIP dental plan in which one plan is through civilian affiliation and one FEDVIP is through the uniform services affiliation, then one of the enrollments will be canceled. The following table summarizes the differences based on the affiliation an individual chooses when enrolling in the FEDVIP:

Summary of FEDVIP Enrollment Issues

FEDVIP Enrollment

Employees and annuitants can enroll, change FEDVIP plans, and disenroll in the FEDVIP every year during the open season. The enrollment process consists of three steps:

1. Verify eligibility. An employee or annuitant has to confirm his or her eligibility for FEDVIP. If the individual is a uniformed service member, this part of the process helps BENEFEDS determine if the individual is eligible to enroll in a FEDVIP dental or vision coverage, or both.

2. Create a “My BENEFITS” account. An employee, annuitant, or uniformed services member must provide personal information and create a User ID and password to set up a “My BENEFEDS” account.

3. Enrollment. After an individual creates a “My BENEFEDS” account, the individual will automatically be sent to his or her “My BENEFEDS” dashboard where the individual can select and to enroll in a dental and/or vision insurance plan.

FEDVIP Enrollment Types

There are three enrollment options in a FEDVIP dental and/or vision plan:

• Self only. Only the employee, annuitant or survivor annuitant.

• Self plus one. An employee, annuitant, survivor annuitant and one eligible family member. An eligible family member includes a spouse and a child under the age of 22. If a covered family member dies or loses eligibility during the plan year, then the employee, annuitant or survivor annuitant can change the covered family member to another eligible family member, and

• Self and family. An employee, annuitant, survivor annuitant and multiple eligible family members.

Dental Plan Options

For 2026, there are 12 dental plan options offered through the FEDVIP for eligible participants. This gives participants a choice and the flexibility to select the appropriate coverage for themselves and their families.

FEDVIP dental plans provide comprehensive coverage, including preventive services at 100 percent when a FEDVIP plan participant uses an in-network provider. There are no deductibles when using in-network dentists. There is also no waiting period for major dental procedures including crowns, bridges, dentures, orthodontics and implants. Plan restrictions and limitations apply.

The following table presents the 12 FEDVIP dental plans available during 2026:

FEDVIP dental participants who want more information about any dental plan should go to https://www.benefeds.com. They are also encouraged to use a comparing dental plan service costs calculator, especially if they are planning a major dental procedure during calendar year 2026.

Vision Plan Options

The following table presents the 5 FEDVIP vision plans available during 2026:

FEDVIP Premiums

NOW AVAILABLE:  2026 FEDVIP Dental and Vision Plan Premiums

Federal employees, compensationers, annuitants and survivor annuitants pay the full premium cost of a FEDVIP dental plan. There is no federal government contribution for employees, compensationers, annuitants and survivor annuitants.

Employees and compensationers have their FEDVIP premiums deducted from their bi-weekly gross pay on a pre-tax basis, called premium conversion. Unlike the FEHB program in which employees have the option of not having their FEHB program health plan premiums deducted on a pre-tax basis, employees must have their FEDVIP dental insurance premiums deducted on a pre-tax basis.

Annuitants and survivor annuitants always have their FEDVIP premiums deducted on a post-tax basis.

The 2026 average monthly increase for FEDVIP dental premiums is 3.35 percent. The average monthly increase in FEDVIP premiums for 2025 was 2.97 percent.

Coordination of Benefits

When an individual enrolls in FEDVIP, either in a dental plan, a vision plan or both plans, the individual will be asked if he or she has other insurance. This is done in order for BENEFEDS to coordinate the individual’s dental and/or vision benefits, if necessary. The other insurance includes coverage under the FEHB program, Medicare, TRICARE and other dental or vision insurance providers. By law, the FEHB program health plans are the first (primary) payers of claims.

Federal employees and retirees and uniformed service members may obtain specific information about FEDVIP and the plans offered bygoing here.