This is a reminder of the federal CHIPRA requirements.  The US Department of Labor requires employers with group health plans to provide CHIRPA notices to all employees.  Please see the attached fact sheet & the below for more information.  Employers are required to provide the notice as of their plan effective date (or renewal date). 

 It’s important to note – The DOL now has the authority to charge monetary penalties to employers who do not comply with the notice requirements! 

Here is a more detailed description of the CHIPRA requirements including links to the fact sheet and model notice: 

 The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published a model notice to help employers comply with notifications required by the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA). Congress enacted CHIPRA last year to extend and expand the Children's Health Insurance Program.

CHIPRA imposes a notice requirement on employers that maintain a group health plan with participants or beneficiaries (e.g., employees, dependents, COBRA-qualified beneficiaries, etc.) residing in one or more states that provide a premium assistance subsidy. The notice must be provided to all employees residing in each premium assistance subsidy state, including employees not enrolled in the plan. The purpose of the notice is to provide employees with information concerning the potential opportunities for premium assistance for themselves and their families in the state where they reside.

The notice may be provided with enrollment packets, open season materials or the summary plan description, but must appear "separately and in a manner which ensures that an employee who may be eligible for premium assistance could reasonably be expected to appreciate its significance", according to the DOL. Employers that fail to issue these notices are subject to penalties of up to $100 per day per employee.

Here is the model notice: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/chipmodelnotice.doc.

Here is the fact sheet: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/fschip.pdf.

Please contact us with any questions or concerns!