Health Plans & Benefits
Subtopics
- Child Care Assistance
- Compliance Assistance
- Consumer Information on Health Plans
- Continuation of Health Coverage (COBRA)
- Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Fiduciary Responsibilities
- Health Benefits Education
- Mental Health Benefits
- Newborns' & Mothers' Protections (Newborns' Act)
- Participant Rights
- Plan Information
- Portability of Health Coverage (HIPAA)
- Womens' Health & Cancer Rights Protections
Participant Rights
Employees participating in retirement and health benefit plans are granted several important rights by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Among them are the right to: disclosure of important plan information, a timely and fair process for benefit claims, elect to temporarily continue group health coverage after losing coverage, a certificate evidencing health coverage under a plan, and recover benefits due under the plan.
It is important for employees and their families to know their benefit rights to make their benefits work for them.
DOL Web Pages on This Topic
Consumer Information on
Health Plans
Provides fact sheets, booklets, and other health plan
information from the Department's Employee Benefits Security Administration
(EBSA).
An Employee's Guide to Health Benefits Under
COBRA (PDF)
COBRA gives
workers and their family members who lose their health benefits in certain
circumstances the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by
their plan. This publication provides a detailed overview of the law.
How to File a
Claim for Your Health and Disability Benefits
Provides advice to participants about how to
file a claim for benefits and what to do if the claim is denied.
How to
Obtain Employee Benefit Plan Documents from the Department of
Labor
Describes the documents and materials available through the EBSA
public disclosure room and how you can obtain the documents from them.
Life Changes
Require Health Choices (Español)
Provides guidance on
making health benefit decisions following key life events such as marriage or
the birth or adoption of a child.
Pension and Health Care Coverage...Questions & Answers for Dislocated
Workers
Provides answers to common questions asked by dislocated
workers.
Retirement & Welfare Brief: Can the Retiree Health Benefits Provided by Your Employer
Be Cut?
Provides tips for retirees and current employees on checking the
documents that determine health care coverage during retirement.
Your Health Plan and HIPAA ... Making the Law Work for You
This fact sheet provides useful information about
major provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act,
the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act, and the Mental Health Parity
Act, and the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act.
Top 10 Ways to
Make Your Health Benefits Work for You (Español)
Provides 10 tips to help
make your health benefits work better for you.
Women's
Health & Cancer Rights Act (WHRCA) of 1998: Questions &
Answers
Provides answers to frequently asked questions about the
enrollment and annual notice requirements under WHCRA.
Work Changes
Require Health Choices (Español)
Provides information on
making health care decisions when your work life changes.
Your Employer's
Bankruptcy: How Will it Affect Your Employee Benefit?
Provides
information on bankruptcys effect on pension plans and group health
plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
for Participants & Beneficiaries Related to the Events of September
11th
Provides answers to the most frequently asked questions by workers
and their families whose pension and/or health plan benefits have been impacted
by the events of September 11, 2001.
Frequently Asked Questions
for Reservists Being Called to Active Duty Related to their Pension and Health
Benefits
Provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about
pension and health benefits by National Guard and reserve members being called
to active duty as a result of the events of September 11, 2001.