The Affordable Care Act—a health insurance reform policy passed by Congress and signed into legislation by President Obama on March 23, is bringing hope to those Americans who want to quit smoking and stay healthy but don’t want to blow their budget.
The Act covers a range of health services including blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol tests, cancer screenings, flu shots, as well as counseling on such topics as quitting smoking, losing weight, eating better, treating depression, and reducing alcohol use.
In the past Medicare required co-pays, payments of annual deductibles, and sometimes even co-insurance—another insurance policy to cover the gaps in Medicare. Counseling for preventive care was often outside the budget.
However, the Affordable Care Act requires health plans to cover preventive services fully, eliminating co-pays and deductibles.
According to new regulations released by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury, if an individual or family enrolls in a new health plan on or after September 23, 2010, then that plan will be required to cover recommended preventive services without charging a deductible, co-payment or co-insurance.
Preventable causes of death such as tobacco smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity, and misuse of alcohol have been estimated to be responsible for 900,000 deaths annually. That’s nearly 40% of total yearly mortality in the United States, according to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association.
According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, some measures such as counseling adults to quit smoking, screening for colorectal cancer, and providing influenza vaccination reduce mortality either at low cost or at a cost savings.
Though it is cheaper in some cases to prevent rather than treat illnesses and conditions, Americans use preventive services at about half the recommended rate, according to Healthcare.gov, the HHS website. Until now, the cost was prohibitive.
With new health care reform policies coming into place, it is expected that more Americans will be able to afford wellness and prevention services and make full use of them.
The Act covers a range of health services including blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol tests, cancer screenings, flu shots, as well as counseling on such topics as quitting smoking, losing weight, eating better, treating depression, and reducing alcohol use.
In the past Medicare required co-pays, payments of annual deductibles, and sometimes even co-insurance—another insurance policy to cover the gaps in Medicare. Counseling for preventive care was often outside the budget.
However, the Affordable Care Act requires health plans to cover preventive services fully, eliminating co-pays and deductibles.
According to new regulations released by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury, if an individual or family enrolls in a new health plan on or after September 23, 2010, then that plan will be required to cover recommended preventive services without charging a deductible, co-payment or co-insurance.
Preventable causes of death such as tobacco smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity, and misuse of alcohol have been estimated to be responsible for 900,000 deaths annually. That’s nearly 40% of total yearly mortality in the United States, according to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association.
According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, some measures such as counseling adults to quit smoking, screening for colorectal cancer, and providing influenza vaccination reduce mortality either at low cost or at a cost savings.
Though it is cheaper in some cases to prevent rather than treat illnesses and conditions, Americans use preventive services at about half the recommended rate, according to Healthcare.gov, the HHS website. Until now, the cost was prohibitive.
With new health care reform policies coming into place, it is expected that more Americans will be able to afford wellness and prevention services and make full use of them.
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