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Health Insurance
To learn about your health insurance options through the Health Insurance Marketplace visit www.healthcare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596.
Having affordable health insurance is a critical part of your health and mental wellness.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA or Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010) established health insurance exchanges where consumers can compare and enroll in health insurance plans, including plans that offer access to mental and behavioral health services. For more information about the ACA, visit our Health Care Reform page. If you are interested in learning how the ACA impacts treatment of mental health and substance use issues, read more here.
Mental and behavioral health services are now considered to be Essential Health Benefits which means that all private health insurance plans offered in the Marketplace must cover these services. To learn more about health and behavioral health services in Marketplace plans, click here.
In 2013, Mental Health America was one of the 105 organizations that received a Navigator grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Through this grant program, MHA worked as Navigator providing direct in-person assistance to individuals interested in applying for health insurance coverage through a federally facilitated Health Insurance Exchange.
As part of our Navigator work we developed a variety of multi-lingual educational materials (brochures and fact sheets) to assist individuals in understanding the application, enrollment, and eligibility process in the Marketplace.
These materials can be used by a variety of entities (Navigators, Certified Application Counselors, direct enrollment assisters) who may be working directly with individuals. You can access the brochures and fact sheets below.
Brochures
How Insurance Works
This brochure provides a broad overview of what health insurance is, why it’s important, and key facts that an individual needs to be aware of when selecting health insurance through the private insurance market and the Health Insurance Marketplace. The brochure explains key insurance terms like premiums, co-pays, and deductibles in plain language. It is intended for audiences that have low health insurance literacy. You can access the brochure on the web here, or you can download as a PDF in the following languages:
How to Use Health Insurance
This brochure provides individuals with information needed to navigate one’s health insurance once a health insurance plan has been selected. It explains how health insurance system works for people who are new to the process and provides tips on how individuals can learn to pick a primary care physician or prepare for a first doctor's appointment. You can access the brochure on the web here, or you can download as a PDF in the following languages:
Fact Sheets
A set of four fact sheets were also developed to address different components of health insurance including deductibles, advance premium tax credits, and out of pocket maximums. These fact sheets have been translated and are available in the same languages that the brochures are. However, only the English and Spanish versions are provided for download. :
- Deductibles and Co-insurance
- Deducibles y coseguro
- Out of Pocket Maximums
- Costos máximos de bolsillo
- Advance Premium Tax Credits
- Créditos de impuestos anticipados para la prima
- Understanding your Tax Credits
- Comprender sus créditos de impuestos
Order Form
If you are interested in ordering hard-copy versions of these materials, please access the Publications Order Form here.
Qualified Health Plan Worksheet
Selecting a health insurance plan in the private market or qualified health plan through the Marketplace can oftentimes be confusing to do. You can use our Qualified Health Plan Worksheet to help you understand how the different health insurance plans meet your mental health and substance use needs, access the worksheet here.
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