Each health insurance plan differs and offers different levels of coverage. Certain plans such as HMO or EPO limit you to only certain providers and require deductibles and copays; others, like PPO plans may provide greater flexibility but require deductibles and copays from you.
Other plans, like marketplace/exchange and employer-sponsored comprehensive plans, can provide greater flexibility. Learn about what full coverage health insurance means so you can make an informed decision for you or your employees.
Coverage for Preventive Care
Health insurance plans now cover preventive care such as physical exams, blood and urine tests and vaccinations to keep their members healthy and avoid costly medical bills later on. Preventive care can assist with issues like diabetes, heart disease and mental health conditions while it can also detect early issues like high cholesterol or stroke risk before they become serious problems.
Most major health plans offer an exhaustive list of fully covered preventive services free from cost sharing for those meeting plan requirements, whether purchased on the Marketplace or through employers. This list includes services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force – which reviews evidence-based preventive benefits across age groups – such as cancer screenings, cardiovascular tests and Pap smears for women as well as annual flu shots and routine tetanus shots for adults.
Preventive services differ from diagnostic care, which aims to identify and treat existing issues. Diagnostic care usually costs more since its focus is to pinpoint exactly what’s wrong and treat accordingly – including procedures like MRIs, CT scans and X-rays.
Understanding the difference between diagnostic and preventive care can help you choose a health plan that best meets your needs. A quality health insurance plan will cover most preventive services at no extra cost, while providing options to quickly detect serious medical conditions before hospitalization or emergency room visits become necessary.
Though some legal challenges remain, most nonelderly Americans still secure health coverage through either their jobs or Marketplace plans. Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) that qualify provide Essential Health Benefits while adhering to cost-sharing limits (such as deductibles and copayments) as set out by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) meet other requirements set forth by this act; comprehensive refers to coverage that meets all required categories of benefits from this act including preventive care coverage whereas short-term and fixed indemnity policies do not need to meet comprehensive coverage requirements set by this act.
Coverage for Hospitalization
Full coverage health insurance usually provides hospitalization and other forms of care you might need when sick or injured, depending on your plan’s deductible, copayment and coinsurance amounts. Once you’ve paid an out-of-pocket maximum amount (out-of-pocket maximum), most health plans should cover any remaining bills.
Your out-of-pocket maximum can range from several thousand dollars each year, and when this maximum has been reached, 100% of covered medical expenses should be covered by your plan, providing peace of mind against potentially expensive healthcare bills.
Your eligibility for health plans depends on your income, age and location. Comprehensive plans tend to be more costly than limited-benefit plans; they’re available through both employers and marketplace/exchange exchanges and typically offer premium subsidies that reduce monthly premium costs.
Gold and Platinum plans tend to offer the greatest value, as they strike a balance between monthly premium costs and medical care expenses. Furthermore, these policies typically feature lower deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums than Silver plans.
All health plans must now include a Summary of Coverage (SOC). This document allows users to compare plans more easily; for instance, its table shows you which scenarios your cost-sharing will apply in such as getting diabetes or having a baby.
A summary of costs (SOC) gives an outline of your potential expenses while also outlining which healthcare services and treatments your plan covers. You can access an SOC for any plan on either the marketplace/exchange or your employer.
Other than comprehensive coverage, you will likely come across options classified as managed care or point-of-service (POS). Managed care plans like HMOs and EPOs typically limit coverage to physicians, hospitals and health care providers who work or contract with the plan; typically this requires getting a referral from your primary care physician if seeing specialists is necessary.
Coverage for Emergency Care
Full coverage health insurance (also referred to as major medical health insurance) covers an expansive array of healthcare services, such as emergency care. Although more expensive than other forms of coverage, full coverage health insurance can actually save money in the long run and cover out-of-pocket expenses such as copays or coinsurance premiums.
Employers, marketplace/exchange options and private insurers all offer fully insured health plans, which tend to cost more than limited-benefit plans but premium subsidies make them affordable for people with lower incomes.
Full coverage health insurance plans usually feature deductibles, which is the amount you must pay annually before health insurance kicks in to pay covered services. Deductibles can range in terms of price; higher ones could incur significant upfront payments before coverage kicks in; there may also be plans without one at all – though these would provide much less comprehensive protection than full-coverage policies.
Emergency rooms are meant for treating urgent, acute, and life-threatening health conditions requiring immediate medical intervention, not simple coughs and colds. Knowing when other treatment options might be more suitable can save time and money in the form of shorter wait times and lesser costs associated with emergency care centers or clinics offering similar services compared with an ER visit.
Comprehensive health insurance may be more costly than other forms of coverage; however, its monthly premium and out-of-pocket expenses can add up quickly. You might get better value by opting for a less costly comprehensive plan; additionally you could take advantage of premium subsidies through marketplace/exchange for even greater savings. It’s essential that before making a final decision on any type of health coverage it is clear what value you are receiving in return.
Coverage for Mental Health Care
All plans sold through the Affordable Care Act marketplace must provide coverage for mental health conditions and addiction treatment, similar to other medical needs. Your insurer may use utilization review to decide whether services are covered; this process involves gathering information about your diagnosis and treatment history for consideration; you have a right to request a copy of clinical guidelines (medical criteria) used when making this determination; they cannot deny coverage due to treating behavioral health care or substance abuse treatment as experimental/investigatory activities and you have recourse for challenging such decisions from their provider.
All plans must provide mental health coverage, in addition to offering full essential benefit coverage without discrimination against anyone based on mental or emotional state. In fact, many employers believe providing full-coverage health insurance to employees as part of a holistic approach to employee wellness and health.
Individual and small business health insurance plans available through the Affordable Care Act marketplace typically cover mental and behavioral health care services. Each policy will have specific criteria regarding what it covers; some even require you to visit providers within their network in order to maximize coverage; these specifics can be found in its Summary of Benefits document.
Typically, when visiting providers outside your network, the cost for services increases due to your health insurance paying less for those visits and the difference being known as your copay or deductible.
Some health insurance plans provide programs and resources to assist with mental and behavioral health concerns, including emotional support apps, telehealth and phone services, crisis helplines and helplines. To discover these resources further, login to your member account or call the number on your health plan ID card; for additional resources visit our website such as tips for selecting an ideal therapist and making appointments.