Ever since the Affordable Care Act was implemented in 2008, the majority of Americans have had health insurance overage. Despite this, few people fully understand their policies and benefits and how they work.
The Affordable Care Act requires non-grandfathered health plans in the individual and small group markets to cover essential health benefits (EHB), which include items and services in the following ten benefit categories:
(1) ambulatory patient services;
(2) emergency services;
(3) hospitalization;
(4) maternity and newborn care;
(5) mental health and substance use disorder services including behavioral health treatment;
(6) prescription drugs;
(7) rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices;
(8) laboratory services;
(9) preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management; and
(10) pediatric services, including oral and vision care.