Plain Language Benefits Information

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies and group health plans are required to provide you with an easy-to-understand summary about a health plan’s benefits and coverage.

Forms

All insurance companies and group health plans must provide you with:

A short, plain language Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)
A uniform glossary of terms commonly used in health insurance coverage, such as "deductible" and "copayment"

All insurance companies and group health plans must use the same standard Summary of Benefits and Coverage form to help you compare health plans, whether you get coverage through your employer or purchase it yourself. Learn more about Summary of Benefits and Coverage rights.

What This Means for You

The Summary of Benefits and Coverage is designed to help you better understand and evaluate your health insurance choices. This allows you to more easily make “apples to apples” comparisons among your insurance options. The measure brings more transparency to the insurance marketplace for the millions of Americans with private health coverage.