What the New HHS Preventive Care Guidelines Mean for Women
<p>Women spend more out-of-pocket on health care than men do and are more likely to forgo needed care because of the cost. As a result, millions of women, with and without insurance, miss out on essential preventive care each year. In a <a href="/blog/2011/new-guidelines-mean-women-insurance-will-get-more-preventive-services-free">new blog post</a>, Ruth Robertson, M.Sc., senior research associate for The Commonwealth Fund's Program on Affordable Health Insurance, says that the federal guidelines on women's preventive services issued last week should go a long way toward remedying this problem.</p>
<p>Robertson reviews the services that will be available without copays, starting next August, including annual wellness visits and contraception. The guideline for contraceptive services, which saved women and the health system an estimated $19 billion in 2002, is perhaps the farthest reaching in terms of savings and the number of Americans who will benefit, she notes. </p>
<p>"By recognizing the unique health needs of women, these guidelines represent an important step toward realizing the Affordable Care Act's commitment to women and the importance of prevention," she writes. <br /></p>