Billing and claims processing procedures widely used in private health insurance routinely, albeit inadvertently, prevent anyone insured as a dependent on someone else’s policy from obtaining sensitive services confidentially. One of the most frequent ways in which disclosure occurs is through explanation of benefits forms (EOBs) sent by insurers to policyholders after anyone covered under their policy obtains care. EOBs—which typically identify the individual who received care, the health care provider and the type of care obtained—essentially make it impossible for dependents, often minors and young adults, to obtain the confidential access to sexual and reproductive health care they need.
Several states have developed creative approaches to address these as well as broader confidentiality concerns—solutions that satisfy the needs of insurers, protect policyholders from unexpected financial exposure and, most importantly, facilitate access to confidential care for all covered individuals.