Everyone in the employee benefits field uses acronyms like COBRA, FSA, and CDHC. What do these and other employee benefit acronyms stand for? 

Here’s an explanatory list of common employee benefit acronyms used:

ACA – Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 

AHP – Association Health Plan 

ASG – Affiliated Service Group 

ASO – Administrative-Services-Only 

ATIN – Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number 

BA – Business Associate 

CDHC – Consumer-Driven Health Care 

CE – Covered Entity 

COB – Coordination of Benefits 

COBRA – Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 

COLA – Cost-of-Living Adjustment 

CONUS – Continental United States 

DCAP – Dependent Care Assistance Program 

DOL – Department of Labor 

EIN – Employer Identification Number 

EAP – Employee Assistance Plan 

EBHRA – Expected Benefit HRA 

EBSA – Employee Benefits Security Administration 

EEOC – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 

EFAST2 – ERISA Filing Acceptance System II 

EOB – Explanation of Benefits 

EOI – Evidence of Insurability 

ePHI – Electronic Protected Health Information 

ERISA – Employee Retirement Income Security Act 

FICA – Federal Insurance Contributions Act 

FLSA – Federal Labor Standards Act 

FMLA – Family and Medical Leave Act 

FSA – Flexible Spending Amount 

FUTA – Federal Employment Tax Act 

GHP – Group Health Plan 

HCE – Highly Compensated Employee

HCP – Highly Compensated Participants 

HDHC – High Deductible Health Coverage 

HDHP – High Deductible Health Plan 

Health FSA – Health Flexible Spending Arrangement 

HHS – Department of Health and Human Services 

HIPPA – Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act 

HMO – Health Maintenance Organization 

HRA – Health Reimbursement Arrangement 

HSA – Health Savings Account 

ICHRA – Individual Coverage HRA 

IIAS – Inventory Information Approval System 

MCC – Merchant Category Code 

PBM – Pharmacy Benefit Manager 

PCOR Fees – Fees for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research 

PEO – Professional Employer Organization 

POP – Premium-Only Plan 

PPO Plan – Preferred Provider Organization Plan 

QB – Qualified Beneficiary 

QE – Qualifying Event 

QMCSO – Qualified Medical Child Support Order 

QSEHRA – Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement 

R&C – Reasonable and Customary 

RRE – Responsible Reporting Identity 

SBC – Summary of Benefits and Coverage 

SMM – Summary of Material Modification 

SPD – Summary Plan Description 

TPA – Third Party Administrator 

UCR Rate – Usual, Customary, and Reasonable Rate 

VEBA – Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association