Summary Annual Reports Due Sept. 30

Health plans with 100 or more plan participants at the beginning of a plan year are generally required to furnish a Summary Annual Report (SAR) to each health plan participant within 9 months after the end of a plan year. As a result, the deadline for most calendar year plans to satisfy the SAR requirement for plan year 2017 is September 30, 2018.

What Must be in a SAR?
A SAR serves as a narrative summary of the group health plan’s Form 5500 annual report. In general, a SAR must provide the following information on the plan year (among other things):

Name of the insurer
Total premiums paid
Value of plan assets at the beginning and end of the plan year
Amount of plan expenses

Is a Model Notice Available?
While the U.S. Department of Labor has not released a model SAR, federal regulations provide model language. To review this model language, click here and see the section titled “Form for Summary Annual Report Relating to Welfare Plans.”