California Dental Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) Requirement

California Dental Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) Requirement

February 2023

A California law (SB 1008) was passed in 2018 and went into effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022. The law requires that employers distribute a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) for any stand-alone, fully insured dental plans. Specifically, the disclosure is required for stand-alone dental plans that don't already provide an SBC, but not to dental plans that are integrated with the group medical plan and are already disclosed in the medical plan's SBC.

The SBC will be prepared by the carriers, but employers will need to distribute them to eligible employees at the following times:

1. Upon becoming newly eligible;
2. At open enrollment; and
3. During special enrollment.

Employers may satisfy the disclosure requirement by mailing paper copies, emailing the SBC, or directing eligible participants to a copy on the employer’s website/intranet. Regardless of the method used, the employer must notify eligible employees that a paper copy is available at no charge. See more detail in the regulations found here. Subsections (d)(2) and (d)(3) discuss the requirements for group dental plans.

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