On November 17, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance that delayed the effective date of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's (PPACA) Summary of Benefits Coverage (SBC) and Uniform Glossary requirements. The guidance did not give a new specific compliance date, but instead stated that until final rules are issued on this topic, group health plans and health insurance issuers are not required to comply. The guidance went on to specify that once final rules are issued, the DOL anticipates that the new rules will include an applicability date that gives group health plans and health insurance issuers sufficient time to comply.

Previously, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury released proposed regulations that provided standards for use by group health plans and health insurance carriers in compiling and providing consumers with two forms including:

• An easy to understand SBC.
• A uniform glossary of terms commonly used in health insurance coverage, such as “deductible” and “co-pay.”

Under the proposed regulations, all health plans and issuers would have needed to provide an SBC, along with a uniform glossary of terms, to shoppers and enrollees upon request and before they bought coverage starting March 23, 2012. Health plans and issuers would also have needed to provide notice at least 60 days before any significant modification was made in the plan or coverage during the plan or policy year.