On December 16, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued a guidance bulletin detailing its current thinking on the implementation of \u2018essential health benefits\u2019 (EHB) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Specifically, the bulletin addresses covered services under the ACA\u2019s mandate that certain insurers provide EHB by 2014. The ACA defines EHB as:<\/p>\n
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Based on several months of research, HHS has proposed that EHB \u201cbe defined by a benchmark plan selected by each State.\u201d This benchmark plan would then act as a reference for other plans and would reflect \u201cboth the scope of services and any limits offered by a \u2018typical employer plan\u2019 in that State,\u201d as mandated by the ACA. HHS has also proposed that the benchmark plan be one of 4 possible plans:<\/p>\n
HHS\u2019 bulletin likewise addresses the concern that benchmark plans may not cover habilitative services, pediatric oral care and pediatric vision care; and therefore presents several proposals for defining covered EHB in those situations.<\/p>\n
Comments on the bulletin must be submitted by January 31, 2012 to: EssentialHealthBenefits@cms.hhs.gov<\/a>. Read the entire bulletin here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On December 16, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued a guidance bulletin detailing its current thinking on the implementation of \u2018essential health benefits\u2019 (EHB) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Specifically, the bulletin addresses covered services under the ACA\u2019s mandate that certain insurers provide EHB by 2014. The ACA defines … <\/p>\n