New Women’s Free Preventive Health Care Benefits Take Effect August 1st
Affordable Care Act expands prevention coverage for women’s health, including free mammograms and well-woman visits
Albuquerque – This week, women across America will begin to enjoy a broad list of preventative health services that – for the first time ever – will be completely free. These new free services are now covered without a co-payment, coinsurance, or deductible as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
The new free preventive services taking effect August 1 include:
- Mammograms
- Other cancer screenings, including screenings for colorectal cancer
- Coverage for all approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity
- A well-woman preventive care visit annually for adults to obtain the recommended preventive services that are age and developmentally appropriate, including preconception and prenatal care
- Screening for gestational diabetes
- High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing in women with normal cytology results
- Counseling on sexually transmitted infections for all sexually active women
- Counseling and screening for human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) infection for all sexually active women.
- Comprehensive lactation support and counseling, by a trained provider during pregnancy and/or in the postpartum period
- Screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence.
A full listing of new preventative benefits can be found here: http://www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines/
“These types of services are something that women have long struggled to find a way to pay for, or have avoided at a cost to their own well-being,” said Pamelya Herndon, executive director of the Southwest Women’s Law Center. “These provisions taking effect today will give women more control over their health. Not only will it make these services affordable and accessible, it also means women will lead healthier lives by preventing potentially serious conditions early, before they become costly and devastating diagnoses.”
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