Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Commonwealth Fund Advice: It’s Important to Read the Fine Print of Healthcare Coverage
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires all health plans to fully cover preventive services, such as cholesterol screenings and mammograms, and prohibits insurance companies from charging copays for them.
But findings from the most recent Commonwealth Fund Health Care Affordability Tracking Survey reveal that two of five adults with private coverage are unaware that their health plan fully covered preventive care services—and fully half of privately insured low-income adults are not aware of this benefit.
Preventive services are free in all health plans, including plans acquired through the ACA marketplace, employers, or the individual market. These services do not count toward the deductible that people need to pay before their insurance kicks in. Yet, confusion about what services are covered by health plans is affecting consumers’ health care decisions. . .