Minimum Essential Coverage

Minimum essential coverage (MEC) is any insurance plan that meets the Affordable Care Act requirement for having health coverage.

Note: although the requirement to maintain health coverage is no longer in effect for 2019 and beyond, some consumer protections continue to depend on whether someone has minimum essential coverage. For example, certain special enrollment periods to enroll in coverage outside of the annual open enrollment period are only available to individuals who had and lost minimum essential coverage.