"Sponsors of group health plans in the First Circuit must now describe any contractual limitations period, if the plan applies one, in the letter advising a participant of a final adverse benefit determination.... The limitations period should be included in the plan document and the SPD and, until recently, it was a 'best practice' to make the limitations period known in adverse benefit determination letters. Following Santana-Diaz, however, including a description of the applicable limitations period in the final benefit determination is now a necessity for plan sponsors in the First Circuit."  MORE >>