A Government Expanding Access in the Background
Within the new year, the government has made some quiet moves or rather things that have not gotten significant news attention that has drastically increased the amount of access to particular types of health care that is beneficial to people's lives. It's not always especially that it makes the news but these important actions can increase health outcomes in our community. Here are some quick bites that I think did not get the headlines they deserved that are really important for people to know about.
Guidance on preventive healthcare for Women
The first thing I'll highlight is an enduring piece from the Affordable Care Act. The law continues to be more and more popular every year, including enrolling a record number of people this year. Still, guidelines continue to be released that refine the amount of care offered. One of the places the law specifically looked at intervening to make sure that there were more preventative comprehensive measures for women and children. A recent announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services further clarifies and expands what services must be covered at no cost.
The updated guidelines require that certain health plans and insurance providers cover specific services. These services include lactation services, contraceptives, screening for HIV, counseling for STIs, and suicide risk screening for adolescents – with no out-of-pocket costs. As part of the updated guidelines, there will be no copay or deductible for electric breast pumps for breast and chestfeeding, as the Women's Preventive Services Initiative (WSPI) informed.
The health care system is finally prioritizing preventative health for women and trying to remove the biggest one of the considerable barriers for people getting screenings and services that they require to live their lives. It's a massive shift and should be applauded as we find ways to prioritize preventative health care, knowing that it saves lives and communities.
No Surprises Act: Understand Your Rights Against Surprise Medical Bills
The No Surprises Act went into effect on January 1, 2022. The No Surprises Act protects individuals covered under health insurance plans from receiving surprise medical bills when they receive most emergency services and non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at facilities in their network plans. This practice allowed things to happen as you could go to the emergency room. You even picked one that was in-network, even though it might have delayed your care. As you were going under the knife turns out to surprise the anesthesiologist was not in-network. You're stuck with a massive bill up to $25,000 in some cases, but you had insurance, you went in-network. This law attempts to fix that by outlawing the practice and creating a mechanism that allows for dispute resolutions between insurance plans. It even allows uninsured and self-pay individuals to receive a medical bill that is substantially greater than the estimate they initially received from a provider.
FDA Approves Mailed Abortion Pills
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it is lifting the requirement that people seeking medication abortion must pick up their pills in person. Removing this requirement allows the pills to be sent by mail instead. Medication abortion is a form of abortion that ends a pregnancy by ingesting two pills: mifepristone and misoprostol. Medication abortion accounts for half of the abortions that occur before nine weeks of pregnancy. The Biden administration is taking steps to advance abortion access by allowing the pills to be sent by mail and proactively mitigating the impacts of the possible reversal of Roe v. Wade.
Medication abortions are proven safe, effective, and manageable for at-home use. These restrictions are designed to limit access. The FDA's action of allowing abortion medication by mail is one step towards overcoming barriers to abortion care.
As I end this first month of the year, I think back on these victories and what they can mean in transforming health care for people who need more access.