The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published an online glossary of the terms that health insurance companies and plan providers are to use in crafting their Summaries of Benefits and Coverage (SBCs) for end-users.

SBCs came into effect this past Sept. 23 and must be issued to all health plan participants and their beneficiaries during open enrollment, when the employee is newly hired and becomes eligible for insurance, or upon request by the employee or beneficiary. SBCs are intended to use plain language to summary the costs and benefits to be paid in an insurance plan.

Click on the bolded link to view the CMS Glossary.