Listen Live
St Jude banner
CLOSE

Starting (today) Wednesday, 47 million women across the country will begin to have free access to contraceptives, checkups and counseling.

The change is part of President Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act. Previously some insurance companies did not cover these preventive services for women at all under their health plans, while some women had to pay deductibles or copays for the care they needed to stay healthy.

Women who are insured won’t have to pay co-pays anymore for birth control, certain pregnancy screenings and counseling, HIV testing and even general checkups.

The change will let women choose between brand name birth control or generic without having to worry about price.

HERE ARE THE 8 NEW PREVENTION-RELATED SERVICES THAT will be covered with no co-payments starting Wednesday, Aug. 1:

– Well-woman visits, or checkups, and preventive care services such as mammograms and cervical cancer screening.

– Testing for HPV, or human papilloma virus.

– Screening for gestational diabetes.

– Annual counseling for sexually transmitted infections.

– Annual counseling and screening for HIV, or human immune-deficiency virus.

– All federally-approved, prescribed contraceptive methods and counseling.

– Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling.

– Screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence.

For more information, go here: http://www.healthcare.gov/prevention

via BlackMediaScoop