AHIP Practice Exam

The key benefit of Essential Health Benefits (EHB) is that it guarantees coverage for ten mandated core service categories. These categories include essential health services that must be covered by health insurance plans, primarily those offered in the individual and small group markets. This requirement ensures that individuals have access to comprehensive healthcare services. The ten categories include services such as emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, and more. By establishing these core services, EHB helps to promote a minimum standard of care, protecting consumers from overly restrictive insurance plans that could limit access to critical health services.

The focus on ten mandated core service categories also distinguishes EHB from other aspects of health insurance, such as unlimited coverage or affordability, which are not directly tied to the EHB framework. This aspect of EHB addresses fundamental public health needs and seeks to offer a baseline level of care that all insurance providers must adhere to, ultimately enhancing the security of health coverage for consumers.