These data files are created each year to support creation of the Group Health 
Plans Reports. The dataset includes all employer-sponsored private-sector 
welfare plans that are required to file a Form 5500 Annual Return/Report and
indicate that the plan offered health benefits to the covered participants.
The Group Health Plans Research Files correct many statistically important
logical and arithmetic data inconsistencies that remain after completion of
EFAST processing.   The data provided also include imputed and edited fields
that were not provided with the initial or amended Form 5500, Form 5500-SF, 
or any required Schedules.  

Notably, the field INS3 indicates whether a plan is deemed self-, mixed-, or 
fully-insured.  This field is populated using an algorithm developed jointly 
by OPR and its contractors to partition the universe of employer-sponsored 
health plans based on insurance funding method.  Note that for any particular
plan in the data, the field may not be accurate for regulatory purposes.  The
field is designed to categorize plans based on a reasonable assumption of 
insurance funding method and should not be used for any purpose other than to 
generate aggregate statistics.  The field provided in this data file has no 
bearing on federal or state rules and regulations that may be applied to a 
particular plan.

The downloadable zipped Group Health Plans Research Files below include SAS 
datasets suitable for use on a Windows operating system, sample SAS tabulation 
programs, a SAS formats program, and documentation. The Group Health Plans 
Research File User Guides provide information on the construction of, structure 
of, and variables included on, the Group Health Plans Research File. Information
on how to request the Group Health Plans Research Files in formats other than 
SAS data sets or for non-Windows operating systems can be obtained by contacting
EBSA's Office of Outreach, Education, and Assistance.




