{"id":32124,"date":"2008-03-26T16:35:41","date_gmt":"2008-03-26T21:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-legal\/uncategorized\/sample-notice-to-group-health-plan-participants-of-benefits.html"},"modified":"2008-03-26T16:35:41","modified_gmt":"2008-03-26T21:35:41","slug":"sample-notice-to-group-health-plan-participants-of-benefits","status":"publish","type":"corporate","link":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/corporate-governance\/sample-notice-to-group-health-plan-participants-of-benefits.html","title":{"rendered":"Sample Notice to Group Health Plan Participants of Benefits Required Under Women&#8217;s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    <p><em>This article was edited and reviewed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\" rel=\"noopener\">FindLaw Attorney Writers<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n                | Last reviewed\n        <time>\n                            May 27, 2026\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\" rel=\"noopener\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\" rel=\"noopener\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\" rel=\"noopener\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"rxbodyfield\" xmlns:o=\"urn:www.microsoft.com\/office\" xmlns:st1=\"urn:www.microsoft.com\/smarttags\" xmlns:w=\"urn:www.microsoft.com\/word\" xmlns:x=\"urn:www.microsoft.com\/excel\"><p>As we advised in our previous Alert dated December 7, 1998, all group health plans are required to notify their participants of the availability of certain newly-mandated benefits related to reconstructive surgery following mastectomy. <b>This notice must be sent to all participants NO LATER THAN January 1, 1999.<\/b> In order to assist you in complying with this statutory requirement, we have attached a sample notice for your use. Please contact us if you have any questions concerning your obligations under the Act.<\/p><div align=\"CENTER\"><blockquote><p>For more information, contact<br\/> Briggs and Morgan&#39;s Employee Benefits Group:<\/p><p\/><ul><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wld.com\/firmsite\/briggs2.asp?wld_id=\" target=\"new_window\" rel=\"noopener\">Carolyn Nestingen<\/a><\/li><li>(612) 334-8579<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wld.com\/firmsite\/briggs2.asp?wld_id=\" target=\"new_window\" rel=\"noopener\">Wendy Citron<\/a><\/li><li>(612) 334-8675<\/li><\/ul><\/blockquote><\/div><hr\/><div align=\"CENTER\"><b>IMPORTANT NOTICE<\/b><\/div><p><b>TO:<\/b> All Members of the Minnesota State Health Plan\/Minnesota State Health Plan Select<\/p><p><b>FROM:<\/b> Plan Administrator<\/p><p><b>DATE:<\/b> ________________________<\/p><p><b>RE:<\/b> Women&#39;s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998<\/p><p>On October 21, 1998, Congress enacted the Women&#39;s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998. This notice explains the most important provisions of the Act. Please review this information carefully. If your spouse is covered under the Minnesota State Health Plan or the Minnesota State Health Plan Select, please make certain that she or he also has the opportunity to review this information.<\/p><p>The Women&#39;s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 requires that all group health plans that provide medical and surgical benefits for a mastectomy also must provide coverage for:<\/p><ul type=\"disc\"><li>reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy has been performed;<\/li><li>surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance; and<\/li><li>prostheses and coverage for any complications in all stages of mastectomy, including lymphedamus.<\/li><\/ul><p>The Act requires that coverage be provided in a manner that is consistent with other benefits provided under the Plan. The coverage may be subject to annual deductibles and coinsurance provisions.<\/p><p>The Act prohibits any group health plan from:<\/p><ul type=\"disc\"><li>denying a participant or a beneficiary eligibility to enroll or renew coverage under the plan in order to avoid the requirements of the Act;<\/li><li>penalizing, reducing, or limiting reimbursement to the attending provider (e.g., physician, clinic or hospital) to induce the provider to provide care inconsistent with the Act; and<\/li><li>providing monetary or other incentives to an attending provider to induce the provider to provide care inconsistent with the Act.<\/li><\/ul><p>The Women&#39;s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 will apply to the Minnesota State Health Plan and the Minnesota State Health Plan Select on the effective date of your 1999 coverage (January 1, 1999, January 4, 1999, or January 6, 1999).<\/p><p>Please keep this information with your other group health plan documents. If you have any questions about this Plan&#39;s coverage of mastectomies and reconstructive surgeries, please call ______________________________________. The next Certificate of Coverage you receive will include updated information about this coverage.<\/p><p\/><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we advised in our previous Alert dated December 7, 1998, all group health plans are required to notify their participants of the availability of certain newly-mandated benefits related to reconstructive surgery following mastectomy.  In order to &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":"","_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false},"corporate_categories":[6474,6476],"class_list":["post-32124","corporate","type-corporate","status-publish","hentry","corporate_categories-corporate-governance","corporate_categories-corporate-governance__insurance"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/corporate\/32124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/corporate"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/corporate"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"corporate_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/corporate_categories?post=32124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}