Barbara A. Mikulski
U.S. Senator for Maryland
Mikulski Applauds Adoption Of IOM Guidlines For Women's Preventive Health
Evidence-based recommendations called for by Mikulski Amendment to Affordable Care Act
August 1, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) applauded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' adoption today of recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that will expand the preventive health care available to women with no additional copayments or deductibles.
"Today, we are one step closer to ending the era when simply being a woman is treated as a pre-existing condition," Senator Mikulski said. "I am so proud Secretary Sebelius has agreed to adopt the IOM's recent recommendations for coverage of women's preventive health care called for in my Women's Preventive Health Care Amendment."
Under the Mikulski Women's Preventive Health Care Amendment to the Affordable Care Act, coverage of women's preventive care is determined by guidelines developed by HHS. In order to make informed, evidence-based decisions, Secretary Sebelius requested that a panel of experts convened by the IOM review the science and make recommendations for what women's preventive health services should be covered. These guidelines are the first comprehensive preventive health care guidelines specifically designed for women. They will expand on the limited recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force.
After the IOM released its recommendations, Senator Mikulski was joined by 28 of her Senate colleagues in writing to Secretary Sebelius, urging their adoption. Click here to read the full text of the Senators' letter.
"Today HHS has heeded the evidence-based advice of the IOM and decided to accept the recommendations, ensuring that American women will be less likely to forgo critical preventive screenings because they're too expensive or not covered by health plans," Senator Mikulski said. "As early as next year, women are going to be able to get the care they need without breaking the bank."
The IOM's recommendations are based on a review of existing guidelines and an assessment of the evidence on the effectiveness of different preventive services. The IOM identified diseases and conditions that are more common or more serious in women than in men or for which women experience different outcomes or benefit from different interventions. The report recommends the following additional services:
· screening for gestational diabetes
· high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing as part of cervical cancer screening for women over 30
· counseling on sexually transmitted infections
· counseling and screening for HIV
· contraceptive methods and counseling to prevent unintended pregnancies
· lactation counseling and equipment to promote breast-feeding
· screening and counseling to detect and prevent interpersonal and domestic violence
· yearly well-woman preventive care visits to obtain recommended preventive services
Prior to the Mikulski Amendment in the ACA, insurance company bureaucrats decided what preventive services were covered for women.
The implementation of IOM's recommendations could take effect as early as next year.
Senator Mikulski's full statement follows:
"Today, we are one step closer to ensuring that simply being a woman will never again be treated as a pre-existing condition. I am so proud that Secretary Sebelius has adopted the IOM's recent recommendations for coverage of women's preventive health care called for by my Women's Preventive Health Care Amendment. These recommendations will assure that women of all ages will receive, at no cost, an annual women's health exam, and requires all health plans to cover comprehensive women's preventive care and screenings.
"For far too long insurance companies have used every trick in the book to deny coverage to women. Now, we are saying no. We said no to the punitive practices of insurance companies in health care reform. No longer will women pay 40 % more than men for the same coverage. No longer will insurance companies be able to deny coverage to women because they've had a medically mandated C-section or been the victim of domestic violence.
"I was not about to let insurance companies -- or anyone else -- say that being a woman was too expensive. I felt we had to do more to enhance and improve women's health, which is why I introduced the Women's Preventive Health Amendment to the Affordable Care Act. My amendment, which was supported by bipartisan men and women of the Senate, guarantees that health insurance plans will cover preventive screenings for the biggest killers of women – heart disease, cancers, and chronic conditions like diabetes – with no copayments and no deductibles. We will invest in the preventive care that keeps women healthy and catches disease early, saving money and lives.
"After my amendment passed, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) was tasked with making recommendations about which women's preventive health services should be covered by insurance plans. When the IOM released their recommendations on July 19th, I was so pleased to see that screening for gestational diabetes, screening and counseling for domestic violence, birth control, and Well Woman visits were included as services that women should be able to access with no out-of-pocket costs. Therefore, I led 28 of my Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius, asking that she act promptly to adopt these common-sense recommendations in order to ensure that women can quickly have access to these life-saving services.
"Today, I am so pleased that HHS has heeded the evidence-based advice of the IOM and decided to accept the recommendations, ensuring that American women will be less likely to forgo critical preventive screenings because they're too expensive or not covered by health plans.
"As early as next year, women are going to be able to get the care they need without breaking the bank. If a woman needs a test for cervical cancer, she will be able to get one. If she is the victim of domestic violence and needs counseling, she will be able to get it. If she needs to get tested for a sexually transmitted disease, she will be able to do so. Women will be able to take advantage of preventive tests without deductible and without copayments. Without hesitation, women will be able to get the care they need. Without hesitation, simply being a woman will no longer be treated as a pre-existing condition."
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