government
16 million seniors received free preventive care in 2012
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 23, 2012
More than 16 million Medicare patients have received preventive screenings and services with no additional out-of-pocket cost during the first six months of 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.
Preventive services, such as mammograms and colon cancer screenings, are available without patient co-pays or deductibles under the 2010 health system reform law. In 2011, 32.5 million patients received at least one of the services without additional patient fees.
The 2012 total to date includes nearly 1.4 million patients who received annual wellness visits from their physicians. The exam was a new service created by the reform law that provides health prevention, education and counseling during an outpatient office visit.
“These new benefits, made possible through the health care law, are helping people stay healthy by giving them the tools they need to prevent health problems before they happen,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/07/23/gvbf0723.htm.
