Dozens of Health and Preventative Screenings Approved by Washington

Health insurance companies to provide dozens of free screenings and laboratory tests for millions of consumers? Yes!  New rules for Insurance companies, approved by the White House yesterday, outlines no co-payments and deductibles for the following preventative visits: screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, depression, routine vaccinations, prenatal care, and regular wellness for infants and children. In addition, other services offered at no charge include counseling for smoking cessation and tests for infection for the virus that causes AIDS.

The new rules will apply to health plans that begin coverage after September 23rd  and for existing  health plans that make changes after that. By next year, these new rules will extend to 31 million people in new employer-sponsered plans and 10 million people in new individual plans. For the full New York Times article, click here.