Calling All Delawareans –
The state of Delaware is currently defining it’s benchmark health care plan in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. You are invited to provide feedback during this timeframe – your feedback can affect the future of Delaware health insurance plans.
Background:
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires that every health insurance plan offered to an individual or small business must cover a minimum level of benefits in each of the ten areas of services listed below. This minimum coverage standard is referred to as Essential Health Benefits (EHB).
- 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 and chronic disease management
- Pediatric services, including oral and vision care
Delaware’s Essential Health Benefits (EHB) Plan:
Each state, including Delaware, is responsible to define a benchmark plan as the standard for it’s own EHB benefits package. Once Delaware’s benchmark plan is established, all other health insurance plans offered in Delaware will be required to be “substantially equal” to the State’s benchmark plan. Plans will have flexibility to adjust included services as well as quantitative limits on certain services, so long as the coverage has the same value as the State’s EHB benchmark plan.
Detailed Information:
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the Delaware Health Care Commission (DHCC) have prepared detailed materials on the State’s EHB benchmark plan, including a Stakeholder Packet, a Benefits Grid, a Benchmark Plan Comparison, and an Evaluative Tool for Chronic Disease Patients.
This material is now available for public review and feedback, and can be found at the Delaware Health Care Commission website, under What’s New.
Get Your Written Comments In By August 2nd!
Your feedback is very important. Comments on the proposed EHB benchmark plan may be submitted to the DHCC by either email or mail. Comments will be accepted through August 2nd, 2012.
E-mail to HBE_Delaware@state.de.us
Mail to: Delaware Health Care Commission, Margaret O’Neill Building, Third Floor, 410 Federal Street – Suite 7, Dover, DE 19901
Speak Your Voice! Open Forum on July 17th.
Additionally, DHSS and DHCC is hosting a public forum on July 17th, 2012, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. All Delawareans are invited to attend the forum, review EHB material, and submit comments at that time.
The forum will be held at the Delaware Technical and Community College (DelTech), Terry Campus, 100 Campus Drive, Dover, DE 19904. Go to Rooms 400 A&B in the Corporate Training Center.
For additional information about these events, contact the Delaware Health Commission at (302) 739-2730.
