The guarantee against specific losses provided under the terms of an insurance policy. Frequently used interchangeably with benefits or protection. The extent of the insurance afforded by a policy. Often used to mean insurance or an insurance contract.
In health care reform discussions, “coverage” is most often used to describe the group of people for whom health insurance is available, rather than the particular services paid for. For example, coverage may be for senior citizens (as a part of Medicare), for those persons who opt to purchase Medicare supplement insurance, for employees of a given company, and so on.