What's Essential in 'Essential Benefits'
In today’s Wall Street Journal article there is a very good overview of some of the next challenges that have to be worked due to the recently passed PPACA. Specifically what will be required to be considered “essential benefits” in the health law? The legislation gives 10 categories of care that plans must provide for customers of the health-insurance exchanges that are launching in 2014. But the law leaves details up to regulators, who are now starting to develop the rules.
I think this is where we are going to see tremendous debate over the next few weeks. There are certain areas of healthcare we can all agree need to be considered “essential” but there will be tremendous challenges in agreeing on all areas of what should be considered essential benefits. As we all know the more items are added as essential benefits the higher the price tag. What you may consider as essential benefits might not be considered essential benefits by someone else.
Check out the 10 general categories of benefits that the health law considers essential at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703905404576164904171231570.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_health