New Health Plans Required to Provide Free Preventative Services

New federal regulations are requiring new private health plans to offer free evidence-based preventative care services and eliminate cost-sharing requirements for those services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced. The federal health department and the U.S. departments of Labor and the Treasury issued the new regulations. The rules require new health plans starting on or after Sept. 23 to cover preventative services that have strong scientific evidence of their health benefits. They also require the plans to stop charging patients copayments, coinsurance or deductible for the services when they are delivered by a network provider. “Today, too many Americans do not get the high-quality preventative care they need to stay healthy, avoid or delay the onset of disease, lead productive lives and reduce health care costs,” said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary for the federal health department. The new rules were enacted to give Americans easier access to services such as blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol tests; many cancer screenings; routine vaccinations; pre-natal care; and regular wellness visits for infants and children. Jessica Selva