New plans will be required to cover a wide range of early detection services Laurie Ure CNN August 01, 2012 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- New health care benefits kick in Wednesday requiring coverage of preventive services and screenings largely affecting women -- another facet of the Obama administration's controversial health care law. <\/p>\n
Beginning August 1, all new and non-grandfathered insurance plans will be required to cover a wide range of early detection services, including mammograms and cervical cancer screenings, without co-payments or other cost sharing requirements. <\/p>\n
\"The top killers of women will now no longer go undetected,\" said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland, who spearheaded the push on Capitol Hill to include the requirement in the health care overhaul. <\/p>\n
\"We eliminate the barriers to care,\" Mikulski emphasized, arguing that the most important deterrent to women seeking medical attention has been the cost of insurance co-pays and deductibles. <\/p>\n
While Americans remain sharply divided over the Affordable Care Act -- President Barack Obama's signature legislative accomplishment -- several specific provisions already in effect have proven to be popular with the public. Among other things, the law also allows children to remain on a parent's health plan until age 26. It also prohibits the denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions, and eliminates the maximum lifetime dollar limit for an insured individual's care. <\/p>\n
While insurance plans in effect before the law was enacted in March 2010 are not required to follow the new rules yet, policies used by 90% of the largest U.S. companies will lose their grandfathered status by 2014, according to Mikulski's office. <\/p>\n
Most health insurance plans, however, already cover preventive care, industry representatives tell CNN. Some do not require any co-pay for these services. <\/p>\n
\"In fact, not only do health plans cover these services, they encourage policy holders to get recommended preventive care, such as preventive tests\/screenings and immunizations,\" said Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, the national trade association representing the health insurance industry. \"Promoting prevention and wellness has always been a top priority for health plans.\" <\/p>\n
The new policy requires insurers to cover a comprehensive set of set of preventive services, including both prenatal and postnatal care, breastfeeding supplies, domestic violence counseling, and screening for gestational diabetes. <\/p>\n
But by far the most controversial aspect of the new policy is its contraception coverage. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Continued here: <\/p>\n
New Health Care Benefits For Women Begin Wednesday<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New plans will be required to cover a wide range of early detection services Laurie Ure CNN August 01, 2012 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- New health care benefits kick in Wednesday requiring coverage of preventive services and screenings largely affecting women -- another facet of the Obama administration's controversial health care law. Beginning August 1, all new and non-grandfathered insurance plans will be required to cover a wide range of early detection services, including mammograms and cervical cancer screenings, without co-payments or other cost sharing requirements Continue reading