Monday, October 26, 2026
Open season is almost here
Here are some tips for navigating the benefits enrollment period
Open season, the once-a-year opportunity for Postal Service employees to make changes to their health coverage or choose a new plan, begins Monday, Nov. 9.
Here’s what employees can do before open season begins:
• Review current coverage. Employees should think about how their healthcare needs may have changed over the past year and consider upcoming medical procedures, prescriptions, and dental and vision care.
• Check for plan updates. Employees should review their premiums, deductibles, copayments, provider networks and what services are covered and take note of any changes that are being made by the plan’s provider. Before making elections, employees should confirm that their preferred doctors, specialists, hospitals and pharmacies remain in the plan’s network. Consumers’ Checkbook is a helpful tool to compare plans and find the best coverage.
• Confirm their access. Employees should make sure they can use their benefits platforms before open season begins. They should verify that they have an active Login.gov account, confirm passwords and PINs, and reset any forgotten login information in advance to avoid delays.
• Review their flexible spending account, or FSA. Employees should consider expected health and dependent care expenses before making elections to ensure that they have enough to cover expected costs without leaving funds to be forfeited.
Open season concludes Monday, Dec. 14.
Additional coverage can be found on Link’s Open Season 2026 page.
Heroes
He saw a hand knocking on a window
This letter carrier responded when a customer signaled for help
Letter Carrier Philip Thomas was delivering to a residence in Meadville, PA, recently when he noticed a hand reaching up from the floor inside the house and knocking on the window.
The customer had fallen after having had a stroke and was unable to get up.
The Postal Service employee called 911 and stayed with customer until paramedics arrived to take the woman to a nearby hospital.
The customer recovered and went to live with a relative.
Employees featured in “Heroes” receive letters of commendation through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. The nomination form is available on Blue.
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered Oct. 18-24
Open season reminders and a new USPS hockey promotion made news
Because open season kicks off Monday, Nov. 9, Link offered a pair of timely reminders.
A Login.gov account is needed to access open season applications, and there are new eligibility verification requirements when adding a family member to a health plan.
We also highlighted the latest USPS-NHL licensing promotion: A Zamboni ice-resurfacing vehicle emblazoned with the organization’s Sonic Eagle logo, which is now smoothing the rink at Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings.
“The Postal Service is embedded in our local communities, so we wanted to reflect that in our NHL sponsorship and align our branding with individual NHL teams,” said Sheila Holman, USPS marketing vice president. “We’re going deeper with specific teams in our sponsorship deals rather than the entire league.”
There was a feature on an underwater mailbox that’s a magnet for scuba divers in Japan’s Susami Bay, as well as articles on Election Mail resources, the Postal Inspection Service’s readiness for election season, the new Diwali stamp, and an ethics reminder that employees must not perform work for an outside business or film social media influencer videos when on the clock for USPS.
And we shared how special agents with the USPS Office of Inspector General used a proprietary data analytics tool to flag anomalies in the account of a North Carolina repair contractor. The contractor agreed to pay USPS $1 million in a civil settlement.
Finally, in “Heroes,” Letter Carrier Philip Thomas was delivering to a home in Meadville, PA, when he saw a hand knocking on the window from inside the house.
The customer had suffered a stroke and was unable to get up. Thomas called 911 and stayed with the woman until help arrived. She has since recovered and gone to live with a relative.
Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column.
November 1, 2026
Datebook
‘Open Season 101’
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar on this year’s open season benefits enrollment period.
The session, “Open Season 101,” will be held Sunday, Nov. 1, from 1 to 3 p.m. Eastern.
The webinar is part of a virtual benefits fair that USPS will hold during open season.
Employees can register on the fair website or by going to the MyHR website’s Open Season Enrollment page.
Employees with questions can email the USPS Benefits and Wellness team.
View past printouts
Printout details
What's included
-
Open season is almost here
Here are some tips for navigating the benefits enrollment period
-
Heroes
He saw a hand knocking on a window
This letter carrier responded when a customer signaled for help
-
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered Oct. 18-24
Open season reminders and a new USPS hockey promotion made news
-
November1Datebook
‘Open Season 101’