Health reform law to expand 8 free preventive services-health from birth control for breastfeeding support--47 million women
By Lisa Zamosky
WebMD Health News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
1 August 2012-Today ushers in the new health reform law, which makes additional preventive health services — from contraception for HPV--are available free of charge to approximately 47 million women.
Women with health plans that begin on or after August 1, 2012, should now be allowed access to the eight new preventive health services without co-pays or deductibles. Eight new services that are available, starting today are:
Well woman visitsGestational screeningDomestic diabetes and interpersonal violence screening and approved the counselingFDA of contraception, including condoms and education and counselingBreastfeeding support, supply and counselingHPV DNA testing for women aged 30 or olderCounseling for sexually active women of sexual infectionsHIV, testing and counselling for sexually active womenThese services rely on the register of existing preventive, health reform law, officially called the affordable care Act (ACA) already makes available, for free, to people with private insurance and Medicare, including annual visits to wellness, cholesterol and other cardiovascular screenings and cancer screenings including mammography, colonoscopy, and cervical cancer screening.
Eight facilities were recommended by the independent Institute of medicine in the Department of health and human services after an extensive scientific review.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) welcomed the ACA additional women's preventive health services as an important step towards the provision of necessary medical assistance and more women.
Today, our nation reaffirms the importance of women's access to needed preventive care, "AGS President James t. Breeden, m.d., stated in a press release. "The annual visit of the good woman is a fundamental part of health care and seeks to prevent the practices recognized risk factors for the disease, identifies the medical problems and establishes a relationship often throughout the life of the patient by a doctor. This annual visit provides an excellent opportunity for gynecologists to counsel patients about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and to minimize health risks.
Bryden adds that contraception, which is already covered by most plans sponsored by employers, plays an important role in optimizing health before pregnancy and childbirth, ultimately leads to a healthy pregnancy and birth.
The law always allowed to churches and other religious organizations a choice of either buying or sponsoring group health insurance do not pay for contraception if it is contrary to their beliefs.
But religiously affiliated groups such as universities and hospitals were not included in this exception.
This caused an uproar among many religious groups, including the Catholic Church. Obama administration says he has. Insurance companies providing health plans for employers with religious affiliation would be required to cover the cost of contraceptives, not the employer. Obama administration extended until August 2013 for religious institutions in accordance with the law.
Eliminating the costs associated with women's preventive health services has been identified as an important factor in overcoming the main obstacles to the necessary assistance.
2009 report of the Commonwealth Fund found that more than half of the women--to more than 25% since 2007 year-delay or avoid preventive care due to cost. In addition, the Government refers to the study, which found that the use of women on mammography went up to 9% when costs for testing have been removed.
Although the provision enters into force today, most women do not have access to free preventive care before their year plan. For most Americans, what could be in January 2013, when most of the health insurance resume.
Grandfathered health plans--those who are already in place when the affordable care Act became Law in March 2010, and that has not made significant changes in their benefits--are exempted from the new requirements.
Sources: press release, Department of health social services & United States. Healthcare.gov news: affordable care Act rules to improve access to prevention services for women ". Press release, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. WebMD Health News: "health care reform: questions and answers."© 2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
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