More than 37% of Iowa seniors have received preventive services at no cost
DES MOINES, IOWA - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that the Affordable Care Act helped 164,636 Iowa seniors with Medicare get at least one preventive service at no cost to them during the first five months of 2012. This includes 10,841 who have taken advantage of the Annual Wellness Visit that is available to seniors through the law.In total, more than 37% of Iowa seniors with Medicare have taken advantage of this benefit that is part of the 2010 health care reform law.
Prior to 2011, people with Medicare faced cost-sharing for many preventive benefits such as cancer screenings. Under the Affordable Care Act, preventive benefits are offered free of charge to beneficiaries, with no deductible or co-pay, so that cost is no longer a barrier for seniors who want to stay healthy and treat problems early. The law also added an important new service for people with Medicare ? an Annual Wellness Visit with the doctor of their choice? at no cost to beneficiaries.
"Iowa seniors are staying healthy thanks to the Affordable Care Act," said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. "This is proof-positive that the health care law is having a positive impact for Iowa's communities. These are real people who are seeing tangible health benefits as a result of the law. Our goal is to get information about the law to every Iowa senior so that we can bring the percentage of Medicare recipients receiving free preventive care services up to one hundred."
For more information on Medicare-covered preventive services, please visit:
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/
To learn what screenings, vaccinations and other preventive services doctors recommend for you and those you care about, please visit the myhealthfinder tool at www.healthfinder.gov.
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