DOL Seeks Ways to Reduce ACA Reporting Burdens

Federal Health Care Reform

The Department of Labor has asked the ERISA Advisory Council to consider ways in which the regulatory cost of mandated disclosures for health care plans could be reduced while satisfying the objectives of the disclosures and improving their usefulness.  In response to President Trump’s Executive Order 13771 to reduce regulations and control regulatory costs, the ERISA Advisory Council has asked for comments on the possible elimination of the Summary Annual Report requirement for health benefit plans not already exempt, the consolidation of the various annual notices into a single annual notice issued in a standard format, and the modification of the Summary Plan Description requirements to allow for a shorter resource reference tool that would be updated annually.  The Council is calling for examples of potential sample/model disclosures, with its next meeting scheduled for June 6-8, 2017.  HR Policy Association will be submitting comments.