Plan

Plan means, with respect to a product, the pairing of the health insurance coverage benefits under the product with a particular cost-sharing structure, provider network, and service area. The product comprises all plans offered with those characteristics and the combination of the service areas for all plans offered within a product constitutes the total service area of the product. With respect to a plan that has been modified at the time of coverage renewal consistent with 147.106 of this subchapter -
(1) The plan will be considered to be the same plan if it:
(i) Has the same cost-sharing structure as before the modification, or any variation in cost sharing is solely related to changes in cost or utilization of medical care, or is to maintain the same metal tier level described in sections 1302(d) and (e) of the Affordable Care Act;
(ii) Continues to cover a majority of the same service area; and
(iii) Continues to cover a majority of the same provider network. For this purpose, the plan's provider network on the first day of the plan year is compared with the plan's provider network on the first day of the preceding plan year (as applicable).
(2) The plan will not fail to be treated as the same plan to the extent the modification(s) are made uniformly and solely pursuant to applicable Federal and State requirements if -
(i) The modification is made within a reasonable time period after the imposition or modification of the Federal or State requirement;
(ii) The modification is directly related to the imposition or modification of the Federal or State requirement.
(3) A State may permit greater changes to the cost-sharing structure, or designate a lower threshold for maintenance of the same provider network or service area for a plan to still be considered the same plan.

Source

45 CFR § 144.103


Scoping language

For purposes of parts 146 (group market), 147 (group and individual market), 148 (individual market), and 150 of this subchapter, the following definitions apply unless otherwise provided:

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