The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires group health plans to provide a number of informational notices to employees and other individuals eligible for group benefits.

To assist with complying with the ACA, we have attached those notices for you and your employees. They should be given to employees enrolled in your group's benefits program during the open enrollment period. You have the choice to distribute them electronically (via email) or hard copies can be printed and handed out.

If you have any questions about this requirement or any of the notices, please contact your Health Consultants Group or Health Solutions Insurance Agency Account Manager.

Thank you.

A Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) Model Notice – This describes required benefits for mastectomy-related reconstructive surgery, prostheses, and treatment of the physical complications of a mastectomy.

A Notice of Coverage Options (Health Insurance Exchange Model Notice) - All employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act are required to provide each new full- or part-time employee a written notice with information about a Health Insurance Exchange (Marketplace) at the time of hiring, within 14 days of the employee's start date. The notice may be distributed by first-class mail, or electronically if certain requirements are met.

A Patient Protection Model Notice - This notice informs participants of the plan's terms regarding designation of a primary care provider, including the right to choose a primary care provider or a pediatrician, as well as the right to obtain OB/GYN care without prior authorization or referral (if coverage is provided for OB/GYN care under the plan). The notice must be furnished whenever a participant is provided with a summary plan description or other similar description of benefits under the plan

Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills - When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing. 

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – If your children need health coverage, they may be eligible for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid. Each state offers CHIP coverage, and works closely with its state Medicaid program.  This notice includes contact information for the Medicaid and/or CHIP programs in each state. 

A COBRA Continuation Coverage Model Notice - While COBRA may not be the first thing you think of when hiring a new employee, it's important to realize that your obligations under COBRA begin the moment you enroll a new employee in your company's group health plan. 

When coverage starts under a group health plan, the employer must provide a general notice describing COBRA rights to the employee and his or her spouse who becomes covered under the plan. This general notice must be provided within the first 90 days of coverage and should include the following information:

• The name of the plan and the name, address, and telephone number of someone whom the employee and spouse can contact for more information on COBRA and the plan;
• A general description of the continuation coverage provided under the plan;
• An explanation of what qualified beneficiaries must do to notify the plan of qualifying events or disabilities;
• An explanation of the importance of keeping the plan administrator informed of the addresses of the participants and beneficiaries; and
• A statement that the general notice does not fully describe COBRA or the plan and that more complete information is available from the plan administrator



These and all model notices that may be used to satisfy all notice requirements are available from the U.S. Department of Labor (www.dol.gov).