New Federal Mandate for Group Health Insurance

Federal law now requires that all employers with a group health plan notify each employee of the availability of Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) subsidies for group health plan premiums. Employers must notify all employees, not just employees electing group coverage through their employers.

Employers must give the notice in a manner that ensures the employee can reasonably be expected to appreciate its significance. The notice must also inform each employee of potential premium assistance, regardless of the employee’s enrollment status.

Employers are required to provide the notice no later than May 1, 2010, and annually thereafter.You can find a sample notice at www.dol.gov/ebsa/chipmodelnotice.doc.

AC Forrest is committed to staying on top of changes as they happen and helping our clients navigate them. Let us know how we can help you.