After two years of average premium increases of around 2 percent, the enrollee share of premiums in the FEHB program will go up 7.9 percent on average in 2009, OPM has announced. The announcement was made as usual well in advance of the annual open season for joining the program, or changing carriers, levels of coverage or types of enrollment, which this year will run November 10-December 8. As in the past, there are wide variations within the average, which will translate into average biweekly increases in employee premiums of nearly $5 for self-only coverage and more than $11 for family coverage. The government share of premiums will rise by less than the enrollee share on a percentage basis due to the way premiums are financed, but the average government share of the total is remaining the same at around 70 percent.