Want preventative health care? It's yours – better yet, it's FREE
The decision involving free preventative health care services and insurance providers rolled into play this September. As of September 23, 2010, if you or your family enrolls or has already enrolled in the new health plan, it will cover the recommended preventive services without charging you a copay, co-insurance or deductible. Many preventative health care services, including cancer screenings, immunizations and colonoscopies, are now available free of cost under the new insurance plan.
Led by the nation's First and Second Ladies – Michelle Obama and Jill Biden – along with the Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, the new plan provides preventative care services without cost-sharing, like copays or deductibles.
What's covered by the new preventive health care plan?
Depending on certain variables, like your particular insurance plan or other factors like age, the following chart shows several popular preventive services that are covered along with cost – with and without insurance:
| Preventive health care service | Average cost with insurance* | Average cost without insurance* |
| Diabetes medication (Metformin) | $10-50 | $4-100 |
| Vaccines for polio | $10-40 | $50-200 |
| Vaccines for meningitis | $15 copay | $100-150 |
| Vaccines for HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) | $60 | $400-500 |
| Shots for the flu and pneumonia prevention | $10-15 | $10-40 |
| Mammograms for women ages 40 and over | $0-35 | $80-120 |
| Pap smears for cervical cancer prevention | $0- full fee depending on deductible and copays | $25-60 |
| Colon cancer screenings for adults ages 50 and over | $0-1,000 or more depending on copays, deductibles and coinsurance | $2,010-3,764 |
*The range of costs is according to www.costhelper.com
Here is a list of several other preventive services that the new plan also covers:
- Blood pressure test
- Cancer screenings
- Cholesterol test
- Counseling on smoking cessation, weight loss, healthy eating habits, depression treatments and alcohol abuse reductions
- Healthy pregnancy measures – screenings, vaccines and counseling
- Healthy baby and child visits up to the age of 21, in addition to vision and hearing, developmental assessments and BMI (body mass index) screenings regarding obesity
- HIV screenings
- Immunization
- Vaccines for measles
What's the aim of this new health care reform preventive care? 
The purpose is to create a healthier country. Most of the services covered in this new plan are leading factors of deaths in America each year. Whether it's cancer, diabetes or heart disease, this new plan is intended to help Americans prevent such medical issues while promoting healthier, happier living.
In addition to the new preventive health care plan, there has also been talk about free birth control for women under the plan. However, the inclusion of free birth control on the preventative health care plan is still up for debate, as it is a very delicate subject in the eyes of Americans.
What's the next step?
Check with your employer and your insurance provider's policy to discover what is covered under your plan. When your new insurance plans rolls out, these preventive health care services should be in full effect.
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