What Does “Minimum Essential Coverage” Mean?
What Counts as Minimum Essential Coverage?
If in doubt, check with your plan administrator to find out for sure.
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What Does Not Count as Minimum Essential Coverage?
Minimum value and minimum essential coverage are both terms that were introduced with the ACA.
And although they sound similar, they have different meanings.
The employee’s family members may or may not be eligible for subsidies as of 2023.
All individual and small group health plans with effective dates of 2014 or later are considered minimum essential coverage.
And the small group plans are also compliant with the minimum value requirements.
Summary
Minimum essential coverage is a definition created by the ACA.
It refers to health coverage that fulfills the ACA’s individual mandate.
But minimum essential coverage does not have to be ACA-compliant.
And it’s not the same thing as minimum value or essential health benefits.
Although those concepts were also created by the ACA, they refer to different things.
All high-quality plans count as minimum essential coverage, but not all minimum essential coverage is high quality.
And there are numerous websites selling coverage that isn’t minimum essential coverage at all.
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