What are the essential benefits of the ACA?

Asked by: Desmond Mosciski  |  Last update: April 7, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (42 votes)

A set of 10 categories of services health insurance plans must cover under the Affordable Care Act. These include doctors' services, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, prescription drug coverage, pregnancy and childbirth, mental health services, and more. Some plans cover more services.

What are the essential benefits under the Affordable Care Act?

The 10 categories of benefits in an EHB package are: 1) ambulatory patient services, 2) emergency services, 3) hospitalization, 4) maternity and newborn care, 5) mental health and substance use disorder services, 6) prescription drugs, 7) rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices, 8) lab services, 9) ...

What are the benefits of the ACA program?

There are 10 essential health benefits that all ACA plans must cover:
  • Emergency services.
  • Hospitalization (for surgeries and inpatient care)
  • Laboratory services.
  • Mental health and substance use disorder services (including behavioral health treatment such as counseling and psychotherapy)
  • Outpatient care.

What are the 3 purposes of the ACA?

The ACA has three primary goals at its foundation, collectively known as the Triple Aim. The Triple Aim goals are: improve patient care, improve population health, and reduce the cost of health care.

Are the 10 essential health benefits cost free?

All Covered California plans have the 10 Essential Health Benefits. The ACA banned annual or lifetime coverage caps on essential health benefits. Preventive care, vaccinations and medical screenings cannot be subject to any cost-sharing when received in network.

Obamacare's 'essential benefits' explained

18 related questions found

Is there a dollar limit on essential health benefits?

Insurance companies can no longer set a dollar limit on what they spend on essential health benefits for your care during the entire time you're enrolled in that plan.

Who is eligible for ACA benefits?

All full-time permanent, full-time nonpermanent and ongoing variable-hour, part-time and seasonal employees are eligible for benefits. If an employee is full-time or meets the 30-hour eligibility requirement, he should be offered benefits.

How much is Obamacare a month for a single person?

Monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans vary by state and can be reduced by premium tax credits. The average national monthly health insurance cost for one person on an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan without premium tax credits in 2024 is $477.

Why is the ACA necessary?

Continued implementation of the ACA can increase the number of people covered by health insurance and help reduce costs in the health system. The ACA helps cut high U.S. health care costs.

Why is healthcare so expensive?

There are many factors that contribute to the high cost of healthcare in the country including wasteful systems, rising drug costs, medical professional salaries, profit-driven healthcare centers, types of medical practices, and health-related pricing.

Is the ACA good for the economy?

Lower long-term deficits due to the ACA will mean higher national saving, which will increase capital accumulation and reduce foreign borrowing, thereby making workers more productive and increasing national income and living standards over time. 4. Improving health and making workers more productive.

Which is known to be a benefit of the Affordable Care Act?

Among other things, the ACA made it easier for many people to get coverage, removed annual and lifetime limits on essential health benefits and put in place requirements that individuals have medical coverage or pay a tax penalty.

Who does not benefit from the Affordable Care Act?

Individuals with incomes exceeding 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL; $46,680 for an individual, $95,400 for a family of four) are ineligible for either Medicaid or Marketplace tax credits. This group represents 16 percent of the ineligible, uninsured population. 2.

What pre-existing conditions are not covered?

Is there health insurance for pre-existing conditions? Choosing a health plan is no longer based on the concept of a pre-existing condition. A health insurer cannot deny you coverage or raise rates for plans if you have a medical condition at the time of enrollment.

Can I refuse health insurance from my employer and get Obamacare?

Obamacare is available to everyone, whether or not their employers offer insurance. From a practical standpoint, though, there are financial consequences to doing this. Often, an employer subsidizes part or all of their employees' coverage.

How much does ACA insurance cost?

Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans require you to pay a monthly premium, which may be reduced by a premium subsidy — also called a premium tax credit. New legislation means that 4 out of 5 people in the 2025 coverage year will be able to find a plan on the marketplace for $10 or less per month.

Who is not eligible for Obamacare?

Must live in the United States. Must be a U.S. citizen or national (or be lawfully present). Learn about eligible immigration statuses. Cannot be incarcerated in prison or jail.

Does Obamacare cover surgery?

All plans offered in the Marketplace cover these 10 essential health benefits: Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care you get without being admitted to a hospital) Emergency services. Hospitalization (like surgery and overnight stays)

What is the moral hazard of the Affordable Care Act?

In the context of health insurance, the term “moral hazard” is used to capture the idea that insurance coverage, by lowering the marginal cost of care to the individual (commonly referred to as the out-of-pocket cost), may increase healthcare use.

What is a controversial provision of the Affordable Care Act?

Individual mandate. The most legally and politically controversial aspect of the ACA, the individual mandate requires Americans to purchase health insurance or face a government penalty, with some exceptions—particularly for low-income individuals who cannot afford to buy insurance [3].

What is the 9.5 rule in Obamacare?

The 9.5% threshold for health insurance costs

The Health Reform bill established 9.5% as the amount of income used for health insurance beyond which, it would not be an affordable. This means that if you make $40K annually, the bill subsidizes health insurance premiums beyond just short of $4K.

What is the 50/30 rule in the Affordable Care Act?

The Affordable Care Act's “shared responsibility” provisions (also referred to as the "employer mandate" or "play or pay") generally require that “applicable large employers” or ALEs (those with 50 or more full-time employees working at least 30 hours per week or their equivalents when adding together part-time hours) ...

What is the ACA 30 hour rule?

Under the Affordable Care Act, full-time employees work an average of either 30 hours or more in a week or 130 hours during the month. Employers with over 50 full-time employees must comply with ACA requirements. Full-time employees who work at least 30 hours per week in any month are counted as one full-time employee.