Under the Affordable Care Act, all employers are required to inform their employees about the availability of state or federal health insurance exchanges. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) developed a Notice to Employees of Coverage Options to help employers provide adequate information to employees. Two notices were developed: one for employers who offer a health plan and one for those who do not offer a health plan.
Complete this notice if your ministry offers a health plan to some or all employees. If you offer medical coverage to an employee, you must distribute this notice to all employees. Populate the fields in Part A and Part B so your employees know whom to contact to learn more about their plan. Your ministry is not required to fill out the third page, starting with question 13. Completing the third page provides your employees additional information about:
Complete this notice if your ministry does not currently offer a health plan to any employees. If you do not offer coverage to any employees, you must distribute this notice to all employees. On page two, populate the fields in Part B with your ministry's basic information.
When your ministry hires new employees, you must provide the appropriate notice to them within 14 days of their start date. Employers may provide printed copies or distribute electronically.
When your ministry modifies health coverage eligibility or contribution levels, revise the notice and distribute to all employees.
Employers are not required to distribute the notice annually or provide the notice to spouses or dependents. All employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) must comply with this requirement. Generally, most ministries are subject to FLSA. However, if you are not sure if your ministry is subject to FLSA, use the DOL's compliance assistance tool to determine your ministry's status.
GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention welcomes the opportunity to share this general information. However, this information is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice. This information may be subject to interpretation or clarification over time, so we cannot guarantee its long-term accuracy or how it might be determined to apply in certain situations. However, we hope it will provide you a useful frame of reference as you endeavor to carry out your responsibilities and serve your employees.
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