To prepare for open enrollment, group health plan sponsors should be aware of the legal changes affecting the design and administration of their plans for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2018. Employers should review their plan documents to confirm that they include these required changes.
In addition, any changes to a health plan’s benefits for the 2018 plan year should be communicated to plan participants through an updated summary plan description (SPD) or a summary of material modifications (SMM).