New standards that require insurance companies to provide critical preventive health services to women at no additional cost will save lives and improve the health of countless Michigan families, citizens said today.
As Thursday’s observance of Women’s Equality Day nears, the citizen groups are touting the announcement this month that thanks to the Affordable Care Act, women will no longer have to pay out-of-pocket costs for a range of vital services.
“This type of coverage is no luxury – it is a vital component of a woman’s basic health care needs,” said Amanda Klein, a member of the Oakland County Women’s Commission. “Women need more health care services than men, but on the whole, women have fewer financial resources to pay for them. Making insurance companies stop charging for services like yearly exams for women will dramatically increase the number who avoid life-threatening illnesses and preventable deaths.”
Under the U.S. Health and Human Services guidelines, all new health plans will be required to offer critical preventive care services without charging a co-payment, deductible or other out-of-pocket expenses starting next August. These tests and services include:
- Annual well-woman visits;
- Screening and counseling for domestic or interpersonal violence;
- Screening for gestational diabetes;
- DNA testing for Human papillomavirus, or HPV – which causes cervical cancer – for women over 30, and for HIV;
- Counseling for sexually transmitted infections;
- Breastfeeding support, pumps, and counseling; and
- FDA-approved contraception methods and family planning counseling.
The guidelines were recommended by the independent Institute of Medicine.
Financial barriers have often prevented women from accessing the health services they need. In fact, a study by the Common Wealth Fund in 2009 found that more than half of women delayed or avoided care because of its cost. (1) Lack of basic preventive care increases the chances of women developing a chronic or life-threatening illness that is difficult and costly to treat.
“This presents a historic opportunity for women all across the United States, and the over 5 million women here in Michigan,” said Dr. James Galloway, Assistant U.S. Surgeon General and Acting Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region V. “The Affordable Care Act helps stop health problems before they start. The new guidelines the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has adopted for women’s preventive services, based on science and existing literature, will take down insurance barriers, help ensure women get the preventive benefits they need, and help improve access to comprehensive quality health care for all American women.”
Under the Affordable Care Act, women’s preventive health care services – such as mammograms, screenings for cervical cancer, and other services – are already covered with no cost sharing for new health plans. The Affordable Care Act also made recommended preventive services available at no additional cost for people on Medicare.
With this new initiative, the law also takes into account the unique health needs of women throughout their lifespan.
“Unfortunately, we see it all the time: Women are living on the edge financially while raising children, and they don’t have any money left over to pay for their own health care,” said Ann Heler, President of the Board of Ferncare Free Clinic in Ferndale. “This has caused far too many to skip the exams and tests that every women needs. It is heartbreaking to see a woman dealing with advanced cancer that could have been caught at an annual exam if she hadn’t had to choose between groceries and going to the doctor. Now, with these changes, many more Michigan women will have access to the life-saving preventive care they need.”
“These changes force insurance companies to fix the unfair gaps in preventive health care for women and make women’s health a priority,” said John Freeman of Know Your Care Michigan. “Through the Affordable Care Act, insurers will no longer be able to charge for services that detect life-threatening illnesses, tests that keep pregnant women healthy and support that gets new moms off to a good start. We should all feel proud to finally have a comprehensive set of guidelines for preventive services that will help keep our daughters, mothers and grandmothers safe and healthy.”
Erin Knott of Michigan Citizen Action added, “When women are forced to go without essential screenings and services, they face long-term illnesses and even deaths that could have been prevented. Those are tragedies that the women, families and communities in our state should not have to suffer. By making preventive care more accessible, this new initiative will save lives and greatly improve the health and well-being of women and families all across Michigan.”
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