Consumer Information on Health Plans

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration provides a webpage dedicated to consumer information on health plans to provide health plan participants and their beneficiaries with information on their rights under the federal health benefits law with respect to their job-based plans.

Webpages on this Topic

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)
Provides a brief overview of COBRA.

Fact Sheet: The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA)
HIPAA offers protections for millions of American workers for portability and continuity of health insurance coverage. This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the law.

Filing a Claim for Your Disability Benefits

Filing a Claim for Your Health Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions for Reservists Being Called to Active Duty Related to their Retirement and Health Benefits
Provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about retirement and health benefits by National Guard and reserve members being called to active duty.

General Facts on Women & Job Based Health Benefits
Provides data on women and job-based health benefits.

An Employee's Guide to Health Benefits Under COBRA
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 health plan. This publication provides a detailed overview of the law.

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 information on making health benefit decisions following key life events such as marriage or the birth or adoption of a child.

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to ensure that financial requirements (such as co-pays, deductibles) and treatment limitations (such as visit limits) applicable to mental health or substance use disorder benefits are no more restrictive than the predominant requirements or limitations applied to substantially all medical/surgical benefits. MHPAEA supplements prior provisions under the Mental Health Parity Act, which required parity with respect to aggregate lifetime and annual dollar limits for mental health benefits.

In Brief: Can the Retiree Health Benefits Provided by Your Employer Be Cut?
Provides retirees and current employees with tips for checking the documents that govern health care coverage during retirement.

Protections for Newborns, Adopted Children, and New Parents - the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996
The Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act generally requires plans that offer maternity coverage to pay for at least a 48-hour hospital stay following childbirth (96-hour stay in the case of a cesarean section). This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the law.

Protecting Retirement and Health Care Benefits After Job Loss
Provides a brief description of your rights under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) if you experience job termination or reduction in hours.

Questions & Answers for Dislocated Workers
Provides answers to commonly asked questions by dislocated workers about their retirement and health benefits.

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.

Work Changes Require Health Choices (Español)
Provides information on making health care decisions when your work life changes.

Workers' Right to Health Plan Information
Provides a brief overview of your right to health plan information under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Your Employer's Bankruptcy: How Will it Affect Your Employee Benefits?
Provides information about bankruptcy’s effect on retirement plans and group health plans.

Your Rights After A Mastectomy...Women's Health & Cancer Rights Act of 1998 (Español)
Provides questions and answers designed to clarify a woman’s basic WHCRA rights.