Notice to Employees of Health Coverage Options

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must inform 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.

The DOL developed two notices:

1. A notice for employers who do offer a health plan
2. A notice for employers who do not offer a health plan

If Your Ministry Does Offer a Health Plan

If you offer health coverage to any employee, you must distribute this notice to all employees. This notice helps your employees know who to contact to learn more about their plan and can provide additional information about:

• Eligibility for coverage
• The plan's minimum value standard
• Contribution toward premiums
• Changes to the benefit plan

If Your Ministry Does Not Offer a Health Plan

You must distribute this notice to all employees if you do not offer a health plan. This will include your ministry's basic information.

When should your ministry distribute notices?

When your ministry hires new employees, you must provide the appropriate notice to them within 14 days of their start date. Employers are not required to distribute the notice annually.

If your ministry modifies health coverage eligibility or contribution amounts, revise the notice and distribute it to all employees.

Additional Ministry Resources

Find more helpful resources to help your ministry thrive, including a full-time equivalent calculator, guidance in choosing a health plan and how cafeteria plans work. For more information, contact us at Insurance@GuideStone.org or 1-844-INS-GUIDE (1-844-467-4843), Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.

GuideStone^® welcomes the opportunity to share this general information. However, this article is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.