The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a final rule that outlines health insurance issuer standards for essential health benefits, the core package of benefits that health insurance issuers must cover both inside and outside the health insurance exchanges or marketplaces. The rule allows states to select a benchmark plan from options offered in the market which are equal in scope to a typical employer plan. Twenty-six states have selected a benchmark plan for their state and for the remainder, the largest small business plan in each state will be used as the benchmark. The final rule expands coverage of mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment. The rule also outlines actuarial value levels in the individual and small group markets to make distinctions among health plans for different levels of coverage. Additional information on accreditation standards for qualified health plans that will be offered through the health insurance exchanges is also provided in this final rule.

Link: News Release