Under the Affordable Care Act, individual plans must cover preventative care — which includes your annual check-ups, preventative tests, and immunizations — at zero out-of-pocket cost to you.
Additionally, all individual plans must cover the following essential benefits:
- Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care)
- Emergency services (trips to the ER)
- Hospitalization (inpatient care)
- Maternity and newborn care
- Mental health services and addiction treatment
- Prescription drugs
- Rehabilitative services and devices
- Laboratory services
- Wellness services and chronic disease treatment
- Pediatric services
While these benefits are not free, individual plans must provide coverage for them.