State Progress on Essential Health Benefits

*Chart updated on November 28, 2012
This chart, like all State Refor(u)m research, is a collaborative effort with you, the user. State Refor(u)m captures the health reform comments, documents, and links submitted by health policy thinkers and doers all over the country. And our team continually supplements, analyzes, and compiles this key content.
Know of something we should add to this compilation? Eager to update a fact we’ve included? Your feedback is central to our ongoing, real-time analytical process, so update us in a comment, or email us with your suggestion. You can send updates or suggestions to Katie Sheedy at ksheedy@oldsite.nashp.org.
Sort table: Click the headers to sort this table by column
Table tip: Click orange text to view relevant source materials

State	Formed a workgroup on essential health benefits	Conducted an analysis of existing state benefit mandates	Assessed benchmark plan options	Held a public comment period	Recommended benchmark plan	EHB benchmark plan type
Total	31	32	34	28
AL		X	X	X	Awaiting further federal guidance
AR	X	X	X		EHB Benchmark Plan: Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Advantage Point of Service (POS) Plan (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: AR Kids First (CHIP) (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Vision Supplemental Plan: Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Pediatric Vision Plan (BCBS Blue   Vision – High) (preliminary recommendation) Mental Health Supplemental Plan: QualChoice Federal Plan Mental Health and Substance Abuse Benefits (preliminary recommendation)	Small Group Plan
AZ		X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: State Employee Benefit-United Healthcare EPO Pediatric Dental and Vision Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP	State Employee Plan
CA	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Kaiser small group HMO plan1 Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: Healthy Families (CHIP) Plan Pediatric Vision Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP	Small Group Plan
CO	X2	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Kaiser Ded/CO HMO1200D (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: Colorado’s Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) (preliminary recommendation)	Small Group Plan
CT	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: ConnectiCare HMO (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: CHIP (Husky B) Dental Benefits (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Vision Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP Vision Plan (BCBS Vision Care) (preliminary recommendation)	HMO Plan
DC	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: BlueCross BlueShield CareFirst BluePreferred PPO (preliminary recommendation)	Small Group Plan
DE	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: BCBS Small Group EPO plan (preliminary recommendation)	Small Group Plan
FL					Awaiting further federal guidance
HI	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: HMSA’s Preferred Provider Plan 2010	Small Group Plan
IA	X				Awaiting further federal guidance
IL	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois BlueAdvantage small group plan (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: AllKids (CHIP) dental package (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Vision Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP BlueVision (preliminary recommendation)	Small Group Plan
IN					Awaiting further federal guidance
KS	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Comprehensive Plan (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Dental and Vision Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP	Small Group Plan
KY	X		X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Anthem Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP)	Small Group Plan
LA					Awaiting further federal guidance
MA	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts HMO Blue Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)	Small Group Plan
MD	X	X	X3	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Maryland State Employee Plan (preliminary recommendation)	State Employee Plan
ME		X	X
MI	X	X	X4	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Priority Health HMO (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: MIChild dental program (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Vision Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP Blue Vision High plan (preliminary recommendation)	HMO Plan
MN	X	X	X
MS	X		X		EHB Benchmark Plan: Blue Cross Blue Shield Small Group Plan	Small Group Plan
NC	X	X	X
ND	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Sanford Health Plan Pediatric Dental and Vision Supplemental Plan: North Dakota Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)	HMO Plan
NE	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: High deductible health savings option (submitted to HHS for Review)	High deductible health savings plan
NH	X5	X	X		EHB Benchmark Plan: Matthew Thorton Blue (Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield)	Small Group Plan
NJ					Awaiting further federal guidance
NM	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Lovelace Classic PPO plan (preliminary recommendation)	Small Group Plan
NV	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Small Employer HMO Plan (preliminary recommendation, analysis is ongoing)	Small Group Plan
NY	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Oxford EPO Pediatric Dental and Vision Supplemental Plan: New York CHIP dental/vision benefit	Small Group Plan
OH					Awaiting further federal guidance
OK					Awaiting further federal guidance
OR	X	X	X6	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: PacificSource Preferred CoDeduct small group plan (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: HealthyKids Plan (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Vision Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP – BlueVision High Plan (preliminary recommendation)	Small Group Plan
PA		X	X		Awaiting further federal guidance
RI	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Blue Cross and Blue Shielf of Rhode Island Vantage PPO Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP MetLife (preliminary recommendation)	Small Group Plan
SC	X			X
SD					EHB Benchmark Plan: Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Select Pediatric Dental and Vision Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP	Small Group Plan
TN	X	X	X	X	Awaiting further federal guidance
TX	X	X	X	X
UT	X	X (Draft)	X (Draft)	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Utah Basic Plus State Employee Plan (preliminary recommendation by legislature)	State Employee Plan
VA	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Anthem Small Group PPO (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: Smiles for Children (current Medicaid dental plan for children) (preliminary recommendation) Habilitative Services Plan: TBD	Small Group Plan
VT	X	X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Blue Cross Blue Shield Vermont (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Dental Supplemental Plan: CHIP dental benefit plan (preliminary recommendation) Pediatric Vision Supplemental Plan: FEDVIP (preliminary recommendation)	HMO Plan
WA		X	X	X	EHB Benchmark Plan: Regence Innova Small Employer Plan	Small Group Plan
WI					Awaiting further federal guidance
WV					Awaiting further federal guidance

About this chart
The ACA requires that health insurance plans sold to individuals and small businesses provide a minimum package of services in 10 categories called “essential health benefits.” HHS has decided to allow each state to choose from a set of plans to serve as the benchmark plan for their state. As we highlighted in a recent blog post, states are required to establish benchmark plans based on one of four options outlined in a bulletin on essential health benefits. A recent FAQ document clarified many of the questions that states had on the bulletin. States will need to select a benchmark plan by the fourth quarter of 2012, but many began analyzing options earlier this year.
Notes
¹SB 951 passed both the state Senate and Assembly. It was recently amended to cover pediatric dental benefits through the state’s Healthy Families (CHIP) program.
²Colorado issued a FAQ document which answers many questions the state has received from stakeholders about its EHB selection process.
³Maryland contracted with Wakely Consulting to produce an analysis of the potential impact that each benchmark plan option might have on premiums.
⁴Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs also developed a comparison chart for dental and vision benefits.
⁵HB 0627 would establish designate the state legislature’s Joint Health Care Reform and Oversight Committee to select a benchmark plan. The bill is currently in conference committee.
⁶Oregon’s EHB workgroup also developed decision-making criteria to help assess benchmark plan options.
Produced by Chris Cantrell, National Academy for State Health Policy