Good to Know: Essential Health Benefits

All health insurance plans now share some common characteristics. The Affordable Care Act requires that all health insurance plans offered in the individual and small-group markets must provide a comprehensive package of items and services, known as essential health benefits.

These benefits fit into the following 10 categories:

• Ambulatory patient services.

• Emergency services.

• Hospitalization.

• Maternity and newborn care.

• Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment.

• Prescription drugs. For more information about prescription drug benefits, visit the page Prescription Drugs.

• Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices.

• Laboratory services.

• Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management.

• Pediatric services, including dental and vision care.

The requirement for insurance plans to offer essential health benefits is just one of many changes in health coverage that began in 2014.