New Rules on Preventive Benefits Mark Milestone for Health Insurance Consumers
Washington, D.C. – Health Care for America Now (HCAN), the 1,000-member coalition that led the successful fight for health reform, celebrated the Obama administration’s release today of rules that will guarantee affordable preventive services for millions of Americans. Beginning on September 23, 2010, new private health plans will be required to offer wellness and preventive care services without requiring co-payments or cost-sharing from consumers.
The provision requires coverage of pediatrician visits, immunizations, and screenings for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, breast cancer and colon cancer. This new rule complements other provisions of the Affordable Care Act that improve coverage of preventive services in Medicare and Medicaid and expand community and clinical prevention efforts.
Here is a statement from HCAN executive director Ethan Rome:
“This rule marks a significant milestone in the implementation of the new health care law, and it’s a powerful reminder that reform is about results, not rhetoric. Making preventive care available and affordable to everyone is a commonsense way to improve peoples’ lives while achieving long-term cost savings. In the first year, the rule extends affordable preventive care to 41 million people, with nearly 90 million people covered by this new benefit by 2013.”
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Health Care for America Now is a national grassroots coalition of more than 1,000 organizations in 46 states representing 30 million people. HCAN spent $51 million over the past two years in the fight to win passage of health reform and to keep Congress from being steamrolled by corporate special interests.
