About the Essential Health Benefits
The Essential Health Benefits (EHBs) are ten broad categories of health care services that Marketplace health plans and certain other private market plans must cover to help ensure people have access to basic health care services (see list below). The EHB requirement has closed health care coverage gaps that for years had left individuals underinsured. Prior to the Affordable Care Act requiring coverage of EHBs, federal law did not require minimum coverage standards. As a result, consumers often did not have health coverage for services now covered as EHBs, such as maternity care or mental health and substance use disorder services.
Preventive health services are also among the EHBs. Preventive care is critical for an effective health care system, both in terms of health status and cost control. Without preventive services, conditions may be more advanced when detected, and lead to unnecessary hospitalizations, costly management of acute and chronic conditions, and other cost-drivers. While the EHBs are a federal requirement, states have significant flexibility in determining the items and services that health plans in the state must cover as EHBs.
The Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019 final rule, released in April 2018, made significant changes to the EHB standard. States can now make changes to their EHBs annually. NHeLP monitors EHB state activity, and provides technical assistance to advocates and stakeholders.
Essential Health Benefits Categories
- ambulatory patient services
- emergency services
- hospitalization
- maternity and newborn care
- mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
- prescription drugs
- rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
- laboratory services
- preventive and wellness services (including chronic disease management)
- pediatric services, including oral and vision care
Resources on EHBs
New EHB standard:
Advocates Step Guide (May 2018)
Overview of Changes to the EHB standard (April 2018)
EHB Rx Drug Series:
Archive Resources (Documents before the most recent changes to the EHB standard)
EHB Update and Advocacy Opportunities (2015)
Step Guide to Reviewing 2017 EHB Benchmarks (2015)
NHeLP Comments on Proposed 2017 Benchmark Plans (2015)
NHeLP Comments on Proposed Changes to EHBs (Nov 2017)
NHeLP and Families USA Sign-on Letter Opposing Proposed EHB changes (Nov 2017)
Chart Tracker
We are currently tracking state bills that have been introduced during the current legislative session. We are doing our best to update this chart on a regular basis. However, if you have any corrections to the chart or any questions for us, please contact NHeLP Policy Fellow Alexis Robles-Fradet at [email protected].
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