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The Obama administration's Health and Human Services has passed a mandate this week for health insurers to cover preventive birth control and other maternal services for all health plans originating in August 2012 for no extra charge. The mandate begins in 2013.
The order generally follows recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, which cited the massive incidence of unintended pregnancies, which could be prevented through greater access to contraceptives. Although Medicare and private insurance users use preventive services less than is recommended despite having access, this regulation hopes to, "promote their use by publicizing the fact that wider, cost-free coverage is now available."
Covered services include mammograms, colonoscopies, blood pressure checks, childhood immunizations, all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, screenings to detect domestic violence, screenings for HIV, counseling and equipment to promote breast-feeding, screening for gestational diabetes in pregnant women, DNA testing for the human papillomavirus for cervical cancer screenings, and annual preventive-care visits. The mandate restricts copayments, deductibles, and other extra payments. Some employers will be eligible for religious exemptions.
Advocates tout the potential in saved lives and better women's health, which will in turn cut costs down the road. This is why the Obama administration advised the National Academy of Sciences not to consider initial costs. In any case, insurers can always implement, "reasonable medical management techniques" to cut costs.
Detractors of the measure include the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and other conservative groups like the Family Research Council.
This new regulation does not cover the as-of-yet uninsured. It may therefore cause new national debate over the role of government in the health industry just before the election.
there are conflicting, competing interests here. Insurance companies are out to make a profit. They loathe being told what to do and what services they can and cannot pay for. Let's use this analogy. Let's say you were a mechanic and have a gas station. The town you work in orders you to give the first 5 gallons of gas every customer for free. They tell you, don't worry, it will benefit you in the long run. You can manage these losses that you are sure to incur by instituting sound loss prevention policies.
What is a business owner to do when a local government orders a business not to charge for some of their services? The small business owner will have to recoup those losses elsewhere. Maybe the next time you go into the gas station to get a quick snack or drink, don't be surprised when you see the prices have doubled or tripled for that convenience.
If you would like more information about how medical malpractice, negligence and accident cases work in the state of New York, I encourage you to explore my educational website http://www.oginski-law.com. If you have legal questions, I urge you to pick up the phone and call me at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at lawmed10@yahoo.com to answer your questions. That's what I do every day. I welcome your call.
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