New Download: 2019 Open Enrollment Checklist

As you prepare for open enrollment this year, note that ACA changes for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2019 may affect the design and administration of your plans. Below is a brief overview of some of the modifications. For more details, download the 2019 Open Enrollment Checklist.

Plan Design Issues

• Confirm your plan’s out-of-pocket maximum complies with the ACA’s limits for 2019 ($7,900 self-only coverage, $15,800 family coverage).
•  For high deductible health plans, confirm that the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum comply with the 2019 limits.
•  Use the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) Template to communicate any plan design changes to employees as part of the open enrollment process.
  • For fully-insured groups, your insurance carrier should provide this to you.
  • For self-insured groups, check to see if your 3^rd party administrator will provide them. If they don’t, then you must communicate these changes to your employees, yourself.

Required Participant Notices

Employers can include additional enrollment and annual notices during the open enrollment period, notifying employee about their rights in regard to HIPAA, COBRA, WHCRA (Women’s Health & Cancer Rights Act), Medicare Part D, your wellness program, and more.

There are some notices that employees need to receive within 90 days after the plan coverage begins. Others need to be provided on an annual basis to all employees. Others still may need to be provided periodically, (every few years), depending on the notice. The checklist provides some model language that you can use.

Download the 2019 Open Enrollment Checklist.