After several rounds of additional review and a three-month delay in the effective date, the final regulations originally issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) in December 2016, which established new requirements for processing disability claims under employee benefit plans (the “Disability Claims Regulations,”), will finally take effect on April 1, 2018. These new regulations add requirements similar to those that apply to claims involving group health plans under the Affordable Care Act rules. Plan sponsors and plan administrators handling disability benefit claims should carefully review the new procedural requirements to ensure compliance in connection with the issuance of adverse disability benefit determinations.