Healthcare Reform: Women's Preventive Care

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released additional information guidelines that expand preventative services for women. The reasoning was that women have unique health needs and higher rates of chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

What is covered?
As with the current preventive care coverage requirements, health plans will be required to cover these additional preventive services with no copay, coinsurance or deductible for the patient. The following items are included in the expanded coverage:

Well-woman visits (annual preventive care visit for adult women to obtain recommended preventive services)
Gestational diabetes screening for women 24 to 28 weeks pregnant, and women at high risk
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing for women 30 and older, once every three years
Annual counseling for HIV and sexually transmitted infections for all sexually active women, plus annual HIV testing
Contraceptives and contraceptive counseling
Breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling
Domestic violence screening

Be sure to check your plan's specific rules before receiving care. These new rules only apply to non-grandfathered health plans. Though plans are required to provide these services free of charge, they do have the option to use cost-controlling measures, such as making you pay for a brand name drug if a comparable generic is available, or charging a copayment for preventive services received at an out-of-network facility.

When does this take effect?
These new rules take effect for plans beginning after August 1, 2011.

Questions?
Contact Payroll Experts' Benefit Partner, Dan Weinstein at 602.956.5515 or dweinstein@abcllc.org, or as always, contact your Payroll Expert.

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