IOM Says Birth Control is Preventive Care!

As you may have heard, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a groundbreaking report yesterday recommending that birth control be classified as “preventative” care, and provided - along with education and counseling - free of charge to patients under the Affordable Care Act. Currently, about half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, costing taxpayers an estimated $11 billion a year.

The report, Clinical Preventive Services for Women: Closing the Gaps, will assist the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in developing guidelines about which women's health services will be covered without patient co-pays or deductibles. According to the IOM report, this includes “the full range of Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.” The IOM also recommended including at least one well-woman preventive care visit annually for women.

In addition, the report recommends that annual HIV tests for sexually active women, annual counseling on other sexually transmitted diseases and testing for human papillomavirus for women over 30.

During the IOM review process, California Family Health Council submitted comments urging the committee to present HHS with the monumental recommendations it released yesterday and applauds the committee's recognition of the critical role family planning plays in our health care delivery system.

Show your support of the IOM recommendations here.

“The IOM’s recommendations underscore what health providers and everyday citizens have long known – reproductive health care is an essential part of comprehensive and cost-effective health care.” said Julie Rabinovitz, President and CEO of California Family Health Council.

“We urge HHS to implement the IOM’s recommendations to ensure that access to related services and counseling is broadly available and accessible to patients throughout their reproductive years,” Rabinovitz added.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called the recommendations "historic" and her department is expected to issue guidelines about the recommendations later this summer. If you have any questions about the women’s health preventive services benefit, please contact Amy Moy, California Family Health Council’s Vice President of Public Affairs.