How many categories of care and services must all health plans offered through a Health Insurance Exchange provide at a minimum?

Health plans offered through a Health Insurance Exchange are required to provide a comprehensive range of benefits that ensure essential health services are accessible to all enrollees. The correct answer is based on the guidelines established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which mandates that all health insurance plans must cover ten essential health benefits categories.

These ten categories include:

1. Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care)
2. Emergency services
3. Hospitalization (such as surgery)
4. Maternity and newborn care
5. Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
6. Prescription drugs
7. Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
8. Laboratory services
9. Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
10. Pediatric services, including oral and vision care

By requiring these ten categories, the ACA aims to ensure that consumers have access to a wide range of necessary services and helps to promote overall health and well-being. The inclusion of such a diverse collection of categories reflects the importance of providing comprehensive care that addresses both physical and mental health needs, as well as preventive services to reduce future healthcare costs and improve population health outcomes.