HealthCare.gov blog

Published onAugust 22, 2013

10 health care benefits covered in the Health Insurance Marketplace®

Every health insurance plan sold in the Marketplace will offer 10 essential health benefits.

What’s covered in the Health Insurance Marketplace^®

These essential health benefits include at least the following items and services:

1. Outpatient care—the kind you get without being admitted to a hospital
2. Trips to the emergency room
3. Treatment in the hospital for inpatient care
4. Care before and after your baby is born
5. Mental health and substance use disorder services: This includes behavioral health treatment, counseling, and psychotherapy
6. Your prescription drugs
7. Services and devices to help you recover if you are injured, or have a disability or chronic condition. This includes physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, psychiatric rehabilitation, and more.
8. Your lab tests
9. Preventive services including counseling, screenings, and vaccines to keep you healthy and care for managing a chronic disease.
10. Pediatric services: This includes dental care and vision care for kids

Published onAugust 16, 2013

Lupita’s story: I don’t have insurance

Have you met Lupita?

Lupita is a single mother and a registered dental assistant who is worried about health insurance.

She works overtime to provide for her daughter and like millions of Americans, Lupita does not have health insurance because she can’t afford it.

Uninsured and making ends meet

Lupita shared her story with us:

Published onAugust 15, 2013

4 ways to protect yourself from fraud in the Health Insurance Marketplace®

Your best protection against fraud is you! Starting October 1, 2013, you can apply for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace^®, on HealthCare.gov. A few simple things can protect you from fraud, while getting you the coverage you need.

1. Be informed.

2. Protect your private health care and financial information.

3. Ask questions and verify the answers you get.

4. Report anything suspicious.

Published onAugust 8, 2013

Jaime's story: Life without health insurance

Have you met Jaime?

Jaime’s a 27-year-old college graduate who hasn’t been to the doctor since her 11th grade physical. She makes less than $20,000 a year. Like millions of Americans, Jaime does not have health insurance.

Sometimes you need more than a good night's sleep

Published onAugust 7, 2013

2014 in 214 words

There’s a lot to the health care law. But it’s based on a few simple principles, which we’ve described below in a mere 214 words. Follow the links for more details.

• If you have health coverage you like, you can keep it. Children under 26 can stay on a parent’s health insurance plan.

• If you don’t have coverage, you can use the new Health Insurance Marketplace^® to buy a private insurance plan.

• Pre-existing conditions are covered. So are many preventive services and 10 essential health benefits.

Published onAugust 5, 2013

A new way to SHOP for small business coverage and get help

The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) is a new program that simplifies the process of buying health insurance for your small business. And now there’s a new way to get help with your health insurance questions– the Health Insurance Marketplace^® Small Employer call center.

Call us right now to get your SHOP and small business questions answered by a customer service representative at 1-800-706-7893 or (TTY: 1-800-706-7915 ). The call center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.

Published onJuly 30, 2013

Get ready for the Health Insurance Marketplace®: Create an account

Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace^® begins on October 1, but in the meantime you can create a Health Insurance Marketplace^® account on HealthCare.gov right now to get ready.

How to create your Health Insurance Marketplace^® account

Get started in 3 easy steps:

1. Provide some basic information like your name, address, and email address
2. Choose a username and password
3. Create security questions for added protection

Published onJuly 25, 2013

7 ways to save in the Health Insurance Marketplace®

There are several ways you can save money in the Health Insurance Marketplace^®. How you save, and how much you save, depends on several things, including family size and income.

1. You may be able to get lower costs on your monthly premiums when you enroll in a Marketplace health insurance plan.
2. You may qualify for lower out-of-pocket costs for
   copayments

   A fixed amount ($20, for example) you pay for a covered health care service after you've paid your deductible.

   ,
   coinsurance

   The percentage of costs of a covered health care service you pay (20%, for example) after you've paid your deductible.

   , and
   deductibles

   The amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $2,000 deductible, for example, you pay the first $2,000 of covered services yourself.

   .
3. You or your child may get free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
4. You can’t be charged more for a pre-existing condition or because you are a woman.
5. You may be able to be covered on your parent’s insurance plan if you’re under 26.
6. You may be able to buy a lower-premium “catastrophic” coverage plan, if you’re under 30.
7. Small businesses may qualify for the expanded small business health care tax credit.

Published onJuly 24, 2013

Answers to your top health insurance questions

Since we launched the new HealthCare.gov on June 21st, we’ve received thousands of questions and comments on the website, through the call center, and on our social media channels.

We’re listening and we value your feedback!

Here’s some new content visitors have asked for that answers important questions about dental care, breastfeeding, and coverage for part-time employees:

• Can I get dental care in the Marketplace? In the Health Insurance Marketplace^®, you generally can get dental coverage as part of a health plan or by itself through a separate, stand-alone dental plan. Learn more about dental care »

Published onJuly 22, 2013

Questions? Call us at 1-800-318-2596

We know you’ve got questions about the new Health Insurance Marketplace^®. We’ve received thousands of them over the past month.

Answering your questions is central to our mission:

• We launched the new HealthCare.gov to feature an easy-to-understand question and answer format, with content based on the most common questions we hear from you.
• We provided you with new way get your health insurance options and info—just answer a few quick questions and we’ll provide you with a personalized list of coverage options, content tailored to your situation, and a checklist to help you get ready.