May is Women’s Healthcare Month! It is an annual observance with the goal of encouraging women to prioritize their health and help them take the steps to improve it. Essentially, preventive healthcare. Did you know that all health plans from the insurance marketplace must cover every preventive service listed in this blog post with no copayment or coinsurance charge, even if you haven’t met your annual deductible? Read on to find out the many services insurance offers that specifically benefit women.
Health care providers enact bone density screenings for women ages 64 and younger that have gone through menopause and for all women over the age of 65. Breast cancer genetic tests are offered to women deemed to be at a high risk, with counseling. Biyearly breast cancer mammography screenings can be conducted for women 50 and over, and for those who are younger as recommended by a health care provider. Additionally, breast cancer chemoprevention counseling is offered for women at a high risk. A pap smear test for women ages 21 through 65 is offered as part of cervical cancer screenings.
Younger women and women at a high risk receive chlamydia infection screenings, diabetes screenings are offered for women with prior history of gestational diabetes and for those who haven’t been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the past, and domestic and interpersonal violence screenings and counseling are made widely available for all women. Women deemed to be at a high risk receive gonorrhea screenings, HIV screenings and counseling is offered for all women between the ages of 15 through 65 (along with other ages if viewed as having an increased risk, as well as pre-exposure prophylaxis HIV prevention medication for women at a high risk of getting HIV, be it through sex or injected drug use. Naturally, sexually transmitted infection counseling is offered for all sexually active women, as well as tobacco use screenings and interventions, urinary incontinence screenings, and well-woman visits as recommended for all women.
Women who are currently pregnant or who may potentially become pregnant also receive several benefits tailored to their needs. Breastfeeding support and counseling from trained professionals, as well as other breastfeeding supplies, are made available through health insurance. FDA-approved birth control, sterilization, education, and counseling are also made available as prescribed by a health care provider. Folic acid supplements are provided for women with the chance of getting pregnant, gestational diabetes screenings for women at risk of gestational diabetes or who are over 24 weeks pregnant, gonorrhea screenings for women deemed to be at a high risk, and hepatitis B screenings for women making their first prenatal visit. Other preventive services include maternal depression screenings for mothers at well-baby visits, preeclampsia prevention and screenings for those with high blood pressure, rh incompatibility screenings as well as a follow-up test for pregnant women at a high risk, syphilis screenings, tobacco intervention and counseling, and screenings for urinary tract or other possible infections.
Preventive healthcare is all about disease prevention, taking the steps necessary to ensure your health is at a strong state before medical concerns happen. Health insurance offers the guidance and assistance needed for women to achieve a healthy, preventive state.
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