Trish Neely, CFCI

In February, HHS issued Final Regulations establishing the standards for coverage of essential health benefits (EHBs). Small employers with non-grandfathered/fully-insured plans now have a blueprint for the core benefits and services that must be offered in 2014. Large employers, employers with self-funded plans and grandfathered plans of any size are not subject to the EHB requirement; however the Final Regulations do address some requirements that apply and will affect them.

Trish Neely, CFCI

What are essential health benefits? With publication of a bulletin by HHS in December, we are getting closer to knowing. This is important news given that by 2014, all Insurance policies must cover these benefits in order to be certified and offered in the states’ Exchanges, and all Medicaid state plans must cover these services.