Published: Aug. 7, 2012
Physicians Health Plan (PHP), a Lansing-based health maintenance organization, is expanding coverage of preventive services aimed at keeping women healthy.
Beginning Aug. 1, all PHP plans will cover the following preventive care services, without any cost sharing for PHP's female members:
Well-woman visits
- Screening for gestational diabetes
- Human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA testing for women 30 years and older
- Counseling for sexually transmitted infections
- Counseling and screening for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Federal Food and Drug Administration-approved contraception methods and contraceptive counseling (subject to standard medical management and formulary restrictions)
- Breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling
- >Screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence
PHP is adopting the new standards ahead of the schedule required by the new federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), which mandates expanded coverage of preventive services specifically for women.
"Physicians Health Plan recognizes that early prevention is everyone's best defense against preventable disease, and because of this PHP has routinely covered preventive exams and screenings that help identify and prevent certain medical conditions," said Scott Wilkerson, PHP president and CEO. "In keeping with that tradition, PHP is proud to fully adopt these requirements earlier than mandated."
The law requires health plans to begin offering certain preventive services for women beginning Aug. 1. The services are supposed to be added to group plans offered by employers as the plans are renewed over the next year. PHP, however, has opted to add them to all nongrandfathered plans effective Aug. 1, regardless of their renewal dates.
For more information, contact Mike Turner at 989.627.6388.