“I thought with the Affordable Healthcare Act everyone would get the same healthcare coverage, and I wouldn’t have to worry about all the co-pays and premiums? Why do I have to choose?”
There are a lot of questions to be answered for consumers about Affordable Healthcare. One of which is this. There are basic coverages that every individual and large group healthcare provider must offer, and then there are additional coverages you can purchase to meet the needs of your family. What the agents in the exchange companies provide is alternatives to meet you as an individual or a family so that you don’t pay too much up front and have the coverage you need, or pay enough up front and don’t pay too much out of pocket at the office.
The 10 Essential Health Benefits every individual and large group healthcare plan will provide with a minimum deductible of $1,250 are:
- Ambulatory patient services
- Emergency services
- Hospitalization
- Maternity and newborn care
- Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
- Prescription drugs
- Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
- Laboratory services
- Preventive and wellness services
- Pediatric services, including oral and vision care
Beyond that, you have the choice of deductible/premium cost based on what you or your family may need. There are essentially divisions based on what your needs are. These 10 Essential Health Benefits are provided no matter what plan you decide on, but there are four plan options for deductible/premium ratios to choose from. Beginning with the Bronze option, you can pay as much as 40 percent of your out-of-pocket expenses (the plan pays 60 percent), with Silver 30 percent, with Gold 20 percent and Platinum, 10 percent. These are also compatible with employer sponsored Flexible Spending Accounts, so you do have options with different plans and add-ons.
What our trained agents at AC Financial try to do is eliminate the confusion over deciding what option is best for you and your family. Oftentimes what we find is that people are insurance poor when it comes to medical visits and pay too much out of pocket for deductibles and visits to providers. We offer a variety of insurance products to make sure you and your family get the care you need when you need it, while at the same time not paying too much out-of-pocket expense.
Wading through the Affordable Healthcare Act is a confusing proposition. We want to be able to help you manage your choices to protect your assets, so in the long run you are getting what you need. Visit our website www.mihealthplans.com to get started. One of the knowledgeable AC Financial agents will contact you to walk you through the process of finding the health plan that fits your needs and budget.
