Source: Vox
Despite federal law requiring one preventive care visit annually at no cost, insurers are systematically denying coverage or billing patients through loopholes—classifying routine visits as billable procedures, requiring additional tests that trigger out-of-pocket costs, or processing claims incorrectly. This extracts value directly from the legally mandated benefit, converting a guaranteed entitlement into a gotcha that demands patient vigilance and appeals. Insurers profit not just from premium spreads but from the friction between statutory requirement and what their claims systems execute.