Starting with plan years that begin on or after Jan. 1, 2027, most employer health plans and health insurers will have to tell members by phone what a covered service is likely to cost them out of pocket. The requirement is part of final Transparency in Coverage rules announced on Oct. 5, 2026, by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor and the Department of the Treasury.
For many households, the change is about who can actually get an answer. Under the original 2020 rules, insurers already had to offer personalized cost-sharing estimates online or on paper. Adding the phone helps people who struggle with insurer websites, adults managing a parent's care, and families pricing a child's MRI or surgery.
