The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced that about 71 million Americans in private health insurance plans received coverage for at least one free preventive healthcare service in 2011 and 2012 because of provisions in healthcare reform.
Free preventive services varied by age and gender, according to a report released in conjunction with the Affordable Care Act’s third anniversary this week.
Children: regular pediatrician visits, vision and hearing screening, developmental assessments, immunizations, and screening and counseling to address obesity and help maintain a healthy weight, according to the report.
Adult women: cancer screening such as pap smears (ages 21-64), mammograms (ages 50-64) and colonoscopy (ages 50 to 64); recommended immunizations such as HPV vaccination (ages 19-26), flu shots for all adults, and meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccination for high-risk adults; healthy-diet counseling and obesity screening; cholesterol and blood-pressure screening; screening for sexually-transmitted infections and HIV; depression screening; tobacco-use counseling.
For plan years beginning on or after Aug. 1, 2012, additional preventive services specific to women — such as well-woman visits; screening for gestational diabetes; domestic violence screening and counseling; and prescription, FDA-approved contraception — must be covered with no cost-sharing.
Adult men: recommended immunizations such as flu shots for all adults and meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccinations for high-risk adults; cancer screening including colonoscopy (ages 50-64); healthy diet counseling and obesity screening; cholesterol and blood pressure screening; screening for HIV; depression screening; and tobacco-use counseling.
Additionally, an estimated 34 million Americans in traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans have received at least one preventive service at no out-of-pocket cost because of the ACA, according to the report.
Services covered with no cost-sharing for Medicare patients include an annual wellness visit, tobacco cessation counseling, and screenings for bone mass, cervical cancer (including Pap smear tests and pelvic exams), cholesterol and other cardiovascular tests, colorectal cancer (except for barium enemas), diabetes, flu vaccination, pneumonia vaccination, hepatitis B vaccination, HIV (for those at increased risk or who ask for the test), mammograms, medical nutrition therapy for management of diabetes or kidney disease, and prostate cancer.
Free preventive services varied by age and gender, according to a report released in conjunction with the Affordable Care Act’s third anniversary this week.
Children: regular pediatrician visits, vision and hearing screening, developmental assessments, immunizations, and screening and counseling to address obesity and help maintain a healthy weight, according to the report.
Adult women: cancer screening such as pap smears (ages 21-64), mammograms (ages 50-64) and colonoscopy (ages 50 to 64); recommended immunizations such as HPV vaccination (ages 19-26), flu shots for all adults, and meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccination for high-risk adults; healthy-diet counseling and obesity screening; cholesterol and blood-pressure screening; screening for sexually-transmitted infections and HIV; depression screening; tobacco-use counseling.
For plan years beginning on or after Aug. 1, 2012, additional preventive services specific to women — such as well-woman visits; screening for gestational diabetes; domestic violence screening and counseling; and prescription, FDA-approved contraception — must be covered with no cost-sharing.
Adult men: recommended immunizations such as flu shots for all adults and meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccinations for high-risk adults; cancer screening including colonoscopy (ages 50-64); healthy diet counseling and obesity screening; cholesterol and blood pressure screening; screening for HIV; depression screening; and tobacco-use counseling.
Additionally, an estimated 34 million Americans in traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans have received at least one preventive service at no out-of-pocket cost because of the ACA, according to the report.
Services covered with no cost-sharing for Medicare patients include an annual wellness visit, tobacco cessation counseling, and screenings for bone mass, cervical cancer (including Pap smear tests and pelvic exams), cholesterol and other cardiovascular tests, colorectal cancer (except for barium enemas), diabetes, flu vaccination, pneumonia vaccination, hepatitis B vaccination, HIV (for those at increased risk or who ask for the test), mammograms, medical nutrition therapy for management of diabetes or kidney disease, and prostate cancer.
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