On June 16, 2015, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury (Departments) published final regulations on the summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) and uniform glossary requirement under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
These regulations finalize provisions in proposed regulations that were published on Dec. 30, 2014, in order to amend prior final regulations from Feb. 14, 2012. According to the Departments, the changes made by these final regulations are designed to improve consumers’ access to important health plan information and to provide clarification that will make it easier for group health plans and health insurance issuers to comply with the SBC requirement.
Effective Date
The final regulations generally apply to coverage that begins on or after Sept. 1, 2015. However, for disclosures to individuals and dependents in the individual market, the requirements apply to coverage that begins on or after Jan. 1, 2016. Until these final regulations become applicable, plans and issuers must continue to comply with the 2012 final regulations, as applicable.
Overview of the Final Regulations
The 2015 regulations generally finalize the December 2014 proposed regulations without significant changes, which implement certain changes to the SBC requirement. Overall, the modifications in the final regulations:
- Clarify when and how a plan or issuer must provide an SBC;
- Streamline the SBC template; and
- Add certain elements to the SBC template that the Departments believe will be useful to consumers.
In addition, the final regulations make some of the SBC enforcement safe harbors and transitions permanent, with several modifications.
Providing the SBC
The final regulations provide additional guidance on when a plan or issuer must provide the SBC to participants and beneficiaries. For example, the final regulations clarify how to satisfy the requirement to provide an SBC in the following situations:
- The issuer provides the SBC upon request before application for coverage. If the issuer provides the SBC upon request before application for coverage, the requirement to provide an SBC upon application is deemed satisfied, and the issuer is not required to automatically provide another SBC upon application to the same entity or individual (provided there is no change to the information required to be in the SBC). However, if there has been a change in the information required to be included in the SBC, a new SBC that includes the changed information must be provided upon application (that is, as soon as practicable following receipt of the application, but in no event later than seven business days following receipt of the application).
- The terms of coverage are not finalized. If the plan sponsor is negotiating coverage terms after an application has been filed and the information required to be in the SBC changes, an updated SBC is not required to be provided to the plan or its sponsor (unless an updated SBC is requested) until the first day of coverage. The updated SBC is required to reflect the final coverage terms under the policy, certificate, or contract of insurance that was purchased.
Reducing Duplication
The 2012 regulations provide three special rules to avoid unnecessary duplication when providing the SBC. For example, the 2012 regulations provide that if either the plan or the issuer provides the SBC to a participant or beneficiary in accordance with the timing and content requirements, both will have satisfied their SBC obligations. The final regulations retain these rules, and also add new rules to prevent unnecessary duplication where:
- A group health plan utilizes a binding contractual arrangement where another party assumes responsibility to provide the SBC;
- A group health plan uses two or more insurance products provided by separate issuers to insure benefits with respect to a single group health plan; and
- The SBC for student health insurance coverage is provided by another party (such as an institution of higher education).