Step-by-step guide
Every health plan in the US has one by federal law. It's the 4-8 page PDF that summarises your deductibles, copays and what's covered. Once you find it, benefit Pro rebuilds your guide around your real numbers.
What you're looking for
The SBC has a standardised format every insurer uses. Page 1 is usually a two-column table starting with “Important Questions” on the left (deductibles, out-of-pocket limit, etc.). Page 2-6 list common services with what you pay. The last page or two is usually examples and definitions.
Where to look
Your insurer's member portal or app
This is the fastest route for ~80% of people. Sign in, look for 'Plan Documents' or 'Benefits Documents'. Detailed steps for the major insurers below.
Your employer's HR or benefits portal
If your insurance comes through work, your HR portal (Workday, Gusto, Rippling, BambooHR, ADP, etc.) often has the SBC under "Benefits Documents" or "Plan Documents" alongside your enrollment confirmation.
The packet your insurer mailed at enrollment
When you enrolled, your insurer mailed a thick envelope. The SBC was in there. If you kept it, it's almost certainly there.
Call Member Services
Last resort and surprisingly fast. Call the number on the back of your insurance card and say: "Can you email me a copy of the Summary of Benefits and Coverage for my plan?" Usually takes them 2 minutes.
Step-by-step by insurer
The exact path changes occasionally as insurers redesign their portals. If a step looks off, look for similar wording — “Plan Documents”, “Benefit Documents”, “Forms”, “Coverage”.
Plan B: No SBC there? Call the Member Services number on the back of your card and ask: "Can you email me the SBC for my plan?"
Open myuhc.com →Plan B: BCBS varies by state. If you can't find the SBC in your portal, the back of your card has a phone number specifically for plan documents.
Find your BCBS →Plan B: If your plan is through an Aetna employer group, the SBC may also be in your employer's HR portal under "Benefits Documents".
Open aetna.com →Plan B: Cigna sometimes calls this the "Plan Brochure" instead. If you only see brochures and full plan documents, message Cigna chat and ask for the SBC PDF.
Open mycigna.com →Plan B: Kaiser also mails the SBC during open enrollment. Check your most recent enrollment packet if the portal version is hard to find.
Open kp.org →Plan B: Humana Medicare Advantage plans use a different format called the "Summary of Benefits" (no "Coverage" in the name) — that one works too.
Open humana.com →Don't see your insurer?
Every US health plan has an SBC by federal law. The terminology is always the same: “Summary of Benefits and Coverage”. Look in your insurer's portal under “Plan Documents” or call the Member Services number on the back of your card and ask for it by name. If you're stuck, email Jack and he'll dig it up with you.
Either works. HR portals (Workday, Gusto, Rippling, BambooHR, ADP) often store the SBC alongside your benefit enrollment. The insurer's member portal usually has the same file. Whichever opens faster.
Federal regulations cap SBCs at 8 pages, but some insurers add a Spanish-language version, examples appendix, or a glossary at the back. 8-12 is fine to upload. If yours is 30+ pages, you've got the wrong document — look for the shorter SBC, not the full Plan Document.
No, those are different. Evidence of Coverage (EOC) is the long legal contract — usually 100+ pages. Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) is the short 4-8 page summary. Always upload the SBC; the EOC will fail to parse.
benefit needs an active plan to personalise your guide, because the value comes from telling you what's covered. If you're uninsured, the free general checklist still has value (it shows what the ACA requires plans to cover) and Healthcare.gov can help you sign up for a plan. Email Jack if you'd like help.
No. We send the PDF to Anthropic's API to extract the structured details (deductibles, copays, perks), then discard the PDF immediately. Only the extracted data and the original filename are stored on your account. You can delete it from your dashboard any time.
The moment you upload, your checklist rebuilds with your actual copays and we'll email you a copy of your personalised guide.
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