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What Are Essential Health Benefits in Health Insurance?
<lingo>The U.S. Affordable Care Act put in place specific essential health benefits, a list of 10 benefits that all health insurance plans must provide. These are considered essential types of care that all individuals who have a health insurance plan should have access to through their coverage. Among them are preventative and wellness visits, maternity and newborn care, mental and behavioral health, lab testing, outpatient care, prescription drug coverage, and services to help those who have an injury, chronic condition, or disability. These, along with others, should be the coverage you have within your health insurance plan or that plan fails to meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.</lingo>
Essential Health Benefits Clearly and Briefly Explained
When the Affordable Care Act was established, its main goal was to make access to health insurance within reach to more Americans. Yet, it also aimed to establish some specific levels of protection. That is, it wanted to ensure that consumers were able to get the basic or essential health benefits they needed within their health insurance plan. While this does not mean these services are free or even discounted, it does mean that any health insurance plan you select for your needs should include these essential health benefits.
The ten listed include:
- Preventative and wellness care; including management for chronic disease
- Maternity and newborn care
- Mental health treatment and behavioral health treatment services
- Services for people who have injuries, disabilities, or chronic conditions
- Outpatient care
- Pediatric care for those under the age of 18
- Lab testing
- Prescription drug coverage
- Emergency room coverage
- Hospitalization coverage
<twitter>The U.S. Affordable Care Act put in place specific essential health benefits, a list of 10 benefits that all health insurance plans must provide. </twitter>
When choosing any type of health insurance, individuals must consider whether these services are provided as well as to what level. Some may have limitations on coverage – such as up to a specific dollar amount. Deductibles still apply. Yet, these ten essential health benefits are considered the benchmark for the cover you receive and they also provide you with an easy way to compare your options between policies. Look at whether the coverage is provided, the amount of coverage, as well as the overall limits of coverage.
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