Which of the following is NOT an essential health benefit mandated by the Affordable Care Act?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established a set of essential health benefits that must be covered by health insurance plans offered in the marketplace. These benefits include a wide range of services to ensure a comprehensive level of care for individuals.

Among the options provided, leisure and recreational services do not fall under the mandated essential health benefits. The essential health benefits typically include categories such as ambulatory patient services, maternity and newborn care, and pediatric services, all of which are critical to the health and well-being of individuals.

Ambulatory patient services refer to care provided to patients who are not admitted to a hospital, addressing the need for outpatient care. Maternity and newborn care encompasses services related to pregnancy and childbirth, recognizing the essential health needs of new mothers and their infants. Pediatric services ensure that children receive necessary preventive and therapeutic health care.

Since leisure and recreational services do not focus on the actual provision of health care or treatment and do not address medical necessities, they are not considered essential health benefits mandated by the ACA. This lack of inclusion is crucial to understand in the context of health insurance, as it helps delineate what health plans are required to provide versus what they could offer voluntarily.