The National health care reform law through the department of Labor is now requiring that all group health plans (fully and self insured) and applicable Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA’s) provide consumers with “simple and straight forward” information on plan coverage in a uniform format.

Beginning on the first day of the renewal or plan change on or after September 23, 2012, all eligible employees (whether enrolling or waiving) MUST receive a compliant summary of benefits coverage (SBC) 30 days prior to the plan renewal, initial enrollment, or at a qualifying event or plan change.

The insurance plan and HRA administrator along with the employer share in the responsibility of providing and distributing the SBC’s.  The distribution can take the form of an e-based file or hard copy printout.  Spring will work with you during the renewal/open enrollment timeframe or with new clients and relationships to make sure that the appropriate SBC is distributed appropriately so as to adhere to this federal requirement.

The above information is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

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Teri Weber
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Teri Weber

Partner at Spring Consulting Group, LLC
Teri Weber, ACI is a Senior Vice President with Spring Consulting Group. She has over 10 years of experience in health and welfare plan strategy, design, pricing, and implementation. She also works with absence management programs, including disability, family medical leave and leave of absence tracking. Her areas of expertise have allowed her to work with diverse employers and vendors to streamline processes and programs to meet the needs of insurers, administrators, employers and employees. Teri is on the Board for the New England Employee Benefits Council (NEEBC) and recently served as lead editor for the Disability Management Employer Coalition’s (DMEC) Return to Work Program Manual. Prior to joining Spring, Teri worked with Watson Wyatt, Buck Consultants and AON Consulting. In addition she was an Account Manager with Health Direct, Inc. Teri earned a BS at the University of Connecticut and a MBA at the University of Massachusetts. She holds an ACI designation and is a licensed broker in the states of MA and CT.