Health Plans Must Cover Preventive Services under New Regulations - July 20, 2010

On July 19, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Internal Revenue Service, together published interim final rules that require health plans to cover a wide range of preventive services without imposing cost sharing on beneficiaries. The rules, which will be effective for health plans that begin after September 23, implement provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that require insurers to cover services such as mammograms, colonoscopies, cancer screenings, blood pressure and cholesterol tests, health counseling, check-ups, and child immunizations. Comments on the interim final rule are due September 17, 2010.