A qualified health plan (QHP) is best defined as a health plan that:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
A qualified health plan (QHP) is a health plan certified by a state or federal health insurance exchange — in California, Covered California — as meeting ACA requirements, including covering essential health benefits, meeting actuarial value and market-conduct standards, and complying with network adequacy and rating rules. QHPs are the plans offered through the marketplace, and agents must be certified by the exchange to sell them. Certification is the defining feature that makes a plan a QHP. Certification also requires compliance with network and rating standards.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) QHPs are individual and small-group market products sold through the exchanges; they are not large-employer-only plans. The exchange is the primary venue for individual and small-group marketplace sales alike.
- C) QHPs must cover the broad essential health benefits categories, including hospitalization — a preventive-only plan would not qualify. Hospitalization is a core EHB that a QHP must cover by law.
- D) Marketing without exchange certification and state approval violates the rules; certification is a legal prerequisite for a QHP. Exchange certification and state approval are mandatory before any sale occurs.
Memory hook
QHP = the exchange-certified stamp of approval. No certification, no marketplace shelf space.