Before You Upload — Please Read
SPD IQ™ uses AI to analyze the document you upload. Please review the following before proceeding.
Do not upload PHI or PII
Remove all Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) — including member names, SSNs, dates of birth, and claim details — before uploading. This tool is not HIPAA-compliant and is not designed to process individual health records.
Check your confidentiality obligations first
PBM contracts and vendor agreements often contain confidentiality provisions that restrict disclosure to third parties — even without PHI. Before uploading, confirm that sharing the document with an AI analysis service is permitted under any applicable confidentiality agreement. An authorized representative of your organization should make that determination.
No persistent storage — processed in memory only
Uploaded files are processed in memory and never written to disk. Your document is sent to OpenAI's API for analysis and discarded immediately after the review is complete — it is not stored on our servers or retained for training. OpenAI's handling of your data is governed by their privacy policy.
Encrypted in transit
All uploads are transmitted over TLS. Files are processed in memory only and are never written to persistent storage.
Original file deleted after processing
Your uploaded document is used only for the requested analysis and is deleted immediately after processing. The platform may retain aggregate, non-identifying analysis results to support your tool history — original file contents are never stored.
AI analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, compliance, or financial advice. Always consult qualified counsel before acting on contract analysis results.
SPD IQ™ — ERISA Plan Document Analysis
SPD IQ™
Know what your health plan actually says — before it costs you. Analyze your plan documents for potential compliance gaps, conflicting provisions, administrative weaknesses, and unintended financial exposure.
Upload your SPD for an AI-assisted issue-spotting review of federal ERISA content, claims and appeals language, participant disclosures, internal consistency, and plan-protection provisions.
Do not upload documents containing PHI or employee personal information.
Upload only the plan-level Summary Plan Description (SPD) or plan document. Do not include employee enrollment records, EOBs, claim histories, Social Security numbers, member IDs, or any other protected health information (PHI).
✓ Safe to upload: the SPD, plan document, wrap document, or summary of benefits and coverage (SBC).
Your document is transmitted over HTTPS to OpenAI's API for analysis. EmployerBenefitsIQ does not retain the uploaded file after processing. OpenAI's applicable API data-handling terms apply. View our data handling policy →
Upload the right document for the most useful analysis
SPD IQ™ is designed to review Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs) and wrap documents. A Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) is a separate ACA disclosure and does not satisfy ERISA's SPD requirements — an SBC-only upload will receive a limited review. For the most complete analysis, upload the full SPD or wrap document.
PDF only · max 25 MB
Upload SPD or Wrap Document
Drop your SPD here or click to browse
PDF only · max 25 MB
Optional — improves analysis accuracy
Plan Information
Required before analysis
Acknowledgments
Uploaded documents are deleted immediately after processing and are not used to train AI models. Document security policy
Uploaded documents are processed by OpenAI only to provide the requested analysis. Original documents are deleted immediately after processing and are not used to train AI models. Read the document security policy.
8 federal categories
What this reviews
- Plan identity & ERISA formalities
- Eligibility, enrollment & termination
- Benefits, cost sharing, exclusions & limitations
- Claims, appeals & external review
- Continuation, HIPAA & participant rights
- Federal health coverage mandates & notices
- Mental health parity issue spotting (document only)
- Readability, organization & internal consistency
- Plan protection / drafting quality (independent score)
MHPAEA compliance depends on plan operations, not the document alone. This tool flags document-level parity concerns only.
Privacy & data handling
Your document is transmitted over HTTPS to OpenAI's API for analysis. Employer Benefits IQ does not retain the uploaded file after processing.
Employer name, document text, and findings are never sent to analytics platforms.
OpenAI's applicable API data-handling terms apply. We do not sell personal data.
This tool provides an educational, AI-assisted document review and is not legal advice, a legal opinion, or a certification of compliance. Laws and agency guidance change, and plan-specific facts matter. Have qualified benefits counsel review material legal or compliance issues before making plan-document changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Summary Plan Description (SPD) and why is it required?
An SPD is a document required by ERISA that explains the terms of an employer's health plan to participants in plain language. It must describe covered benefits, exclusions, cost-sharing, claims procedures, appeals rights, and participant rights under ERISA. Employers must provide the SPD to participants within 90 days of enrollment and update it within 210 days after a plan year in which material modifications are made. Failure to provide an adequate SPD can result in DOL penalties and adverse benefit determination outcomes.
What are the most common SPD deficiencies found in DOL audits?
Common SPD deficiencies include: missing or inadequate claims and appeals procedures; failure to describe the plan's subrogation and reimbursement rights; inadequate description of coordination of benefits; missing HIPAA special enrollment rights; failure to describe COBRA continuation rights; outdated plan year or contribution information; and missing or inadequate mental health parity disclosures. The SPD IQ™ checks for all of these common deficiencies.
How often should an employer update its SPD?
An SPD must be updated whenever material modifications are made to the plan. For most material modifications, a Summary of Material Modifications (SMM) must be provided to participants within 210 days after the plan year in which the modification was adopted. However, a separate accelerated rule applies to certain material reductions in group health plan benefits or covered services — those generally require notice within 60 days after adoption, subject to regulatory exceptions. A full SPD restatement is required every 5 years if amendments have been made, or every 10 years if no amendments have been made. Employers should confirm the applicable deadline with ERISA counsel, as the rules differ depending on the type of change.
What is the difference between an SPD and a plan document?
The plan document is the formal legal instrument that governs the health plan. The SPD is a plain-language summary that must be provided to participants under ERISA. Some employers use a combined plan document/SPD. When there is a conflict between a separate SPD and the underlying plan document, the legal outcome depends on the specific facts and the remedy sought. In CIGNA Corp. v. Amara, the Supreme Court explained that summary disclosures do not themselves necessarily constitute enforceable plan terms under ERISA §502(a)(1)(B), though misleading disclosures can support other equitable remedies. SPD accuracy is critical regardless — participants rely on it for coverage decisions, and inconsistencies create administrative and legal risk.
Can AI review my SPD for ERISA compliance?
AI can identify structural gaps, missing required provisions, and common deficiencies in SPDs — but it cannot provide legal advice or guarantee ERISA compliance. The SPD IQ™ at www.employerbenefitsiq.com identifies potential issues for educational purposes and should be followed by review with an ERISA attorney for legal compliance determinations. Think of it as a first-pass gap analysis that helps you prioritize what to bring to your attorney.
Can I upload a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) or wrap document instead of an SPD?
These documents serve different legal purposes and are not interchangeable. A Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) is a standardized disclosure required under the ACA — it does not satisfy the comprehensive SPD requirements under ERISA. A wrap document supplements a carrier certificate or insurance policy to add ERISA-required provisions. An SPD is the complete plan description required under ERISA. SPD IQ™ is designed to review SPDs and wrap documents; an SBC-only upload will receive a limited review that cannot assess the full range of ERISA content requirements. For the most useful analysis, upload the most complete plan document available.
What mental health parity requirements apply to my plan?
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires that mental health and substance use disorder benefits not be subject to more restrictive treatment limitations than comparable medical and surgical benefits. Compliance depends on both the plan document and operational practices — the SPD alone does not establish MHPAEA compliance. The regulatory landscape has evolved: the Departments announced non-enforcement of certain provisions of the 2024 final rule in 2025, and the Department of Labor issued updated enforcement guidance on September 8, 2026. SPD IQ™ flags potential parity concerns in the plan document, but a complete parity analysis requires a comparative analysis of actual plan operations and should be conducted with qualified ERISA counsel.