The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped millions of Americans gain access to healthcare coverage, but a recent study found 10 healthcare services remain excluded within plans offered on the federal and state-run health insurance marketplaces.
The study was conducted by health insurance site HealthPocket.com and used data about excluded medical services from government records. The study found ACA plans often don't include services that were also excluded in pre-healthcare reform plans. The services range from long-term care to weight loss treatments and adult dental services. According to the study, a federal mandate has improved access to certain types of care, such as maternity care.
Many Americans are looking for plans that provide care options. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, not many young individuals have signed up for catastrophic plans, or those plans with the lowest premiums and highest deductibles that are for those under 30 or who received a "hardship exemption" from the marketplace. The Sun-Times reported silver plans, or those with mid-level coverage, tend to be the most popular across the nation, meaning Americans want to feel covered without paying a large sum to insurers.