More than 30 million with Medicare used free preventive services in 2011

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the Affordable Care Act provided approximately 54 million Americans with at least one new free preventive service in 2011 through their private health insurance plans. Secretary Sebelius also announced that an estimated 32.5 million people with Medicare received at least one free preventive benefit in 2011, including the new Annual Wellness Visit, since the health reform law was enacted.

Together, this means an estimated 86 million Americans were helped by health reform’s prevention coverage improvements. The new data were released in two new reports from HHS.

“Americans of all ages can now get the preventive services they need, like mammograms and the new Annual Wellness Visit, free of charge, as a result of the new health care law,” Secretary Sebelius said. “With more people taking advantage of these benefits, more lives can be saved, and costly, and often burdensome, diseases can be prevented or caught earlier.”

The Affordable Care Act requires many insurance plans to provide coverage without cost sharing to enrollees for a variety of preventive health services, such as colonoscopy screening for colon cancer, Pap smears and mammograms for women, well-child visits, and flu shots for all children and adults. The law also makes proven preventive services free for most people on Medicare.

The report on private health insurance coverage also examined the expansion of free preventive services in minority populations.  The results showed that an estimated 6.1 million Latinos, 5.5 million Blacks, 2.7 million Asian Americans and 300,000 Native Americans with private insurance received expanded preventive benefits coverage in 2011 as a result of the new health care law.

The report discussing Medicare preventive services found that more than 25.7 million Americans in traditional Medicare received free preventive services in 2011. The report also looked at Medicare Advantage plans and found that 9.3 million Americans – 97 percent of those in individual Medicare Advantage plans – were enrolled in a plan that offered free preventive services.  Assuming that people in Medicare Advantage plans utilized preventive services at the same rate as those with traditional Medicare, an estimated 32.5 million people benefited from Medicare’s coverage of prevention with no cost sharing.

The full report on expanded preventive benefits in private health insurance is available at http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2012/PreventiveServices/ib.shtml.  The report on expanded preventive benefits in Medicare and other ways that the Affordable Care Act strengthens Medicare is available at http://www.cms.gov/newsroom/.

En Español

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Take the time to prevent heart disease

Statement from Secretary Sebelius on American Heart Month

Crosspost from HHS.gov

February is American Heart Month; a month to spread awareness about the importance of heart health. Each year, countless American families are impacted by heart disease and stroke. Although its risk factors can be prevented or controlled, it is still the leading cause of death for all Americans, and accounts for $1 out of every $6 dollars spent on health care.  Fortunately, there are many simple steps we can take to prevent heart disease such as eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and not smoking.

The Department of Health and Human Services is working with both public and private partners to raise awareness of heart disease through vital research investments and public health programs. The Million Hearts Initiative takes aim at this disease, with a goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next 5 years. Other efforts, like the HeartTruth, which addresses women’s heart health, and the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, which confronts childhood obesity by helping children choose healthy foods and stay active, work to provide people with resources and ways to make heart healthy changes in their everyday lives .

And thanks to the new health care law, the Affordable Care Act, new health plans must now cover recommended preventive services, including blood pressure screening for all adults and cholesterol screening for adults of certain ages or at higher risk, cost-free.

This month, as we take time to educate ourselves about the risks of heart disease, and recognize the efforts of medical researchers and healthcare professionals dedicated to prevention, early detection, and effective treatment, consider what steps you and your family can take to promote and adopt a heart healthy lifestyle.

For more information on American Heart Month, please visit:  http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/index.html

For more information on women and heart disease, please visit: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/ or http://womenshealth.gov/heartattack/  .  

To learn more about the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign, please visit: http://www.letsmove.gov/

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Medicare Covers Tests to Find Heart Disease Early

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, so it’s important to take care of your heart to stay healthy. Start now, during American Heart Month, by talking to your doctor about whether you’re at risk for heart disease and to schedule your free cardiovascular screening. Medicare covers these tests, which help detect heart disease early and check your cholesterol, blood fat (lipid), and triglyceride levels.

 Medicare will cover a cardiovascular screening at no cost to you every 5 years, so be sure to schedule your screening to get the most out of your Medicare.

 If your doctor thinks you’re at risk for a heart attack or stroke, there are steps you can take to help prevent these conditions, such as take medication. Your doctor may also suggest you make the following lifestyle changes to lower your cholesterol and stay healthy:

•          Change your diet
•          Increase your activity level
•          Exercise more often

Making lifestyle changes can be challenging, but you don’t have to reach your heart health goals alone. Join Million Hearts, a national campaign to help prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next 5 years. Join now to get the information and resources you need to learn how to take care of your heart and live a healthy life.

 For more information on heart disease risks and prevention, visit the Centers for Disease Control or the American Heart Association.

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Find Quality Health Care Information In Spanish

More of Medicare’s quality care Web sites are now available in Spanish – and they’re ready to help you find the health care options that meet your needs. It’s one of the many ways we’re sharing Medicare’s information so that everyone can better understand their health care options and get quality care.

These Web sites are easy to use to find health care professionals, services, and facilities. Use this information to get involved and take control of your health care choices, and help your family members with their choices, too.

Compare your options – you may find doctors or facilities that are closer to your home, helping you save time. Or, you may find facilities that you didn’t know about – all you need is your zip code to start searching.

You can find and compare in Spanish:

• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• Home Health agencies
• Dialysis Facilities
• Physicians
• Drug and Health plans

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Are You Ready for 2012? 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Now that it’s January, here are a few things to ask yourself to make sure you’re ready for 2012.

1. Do you have the right insurance card to use when you go to the doctor?
If you changed your health or drug plan during Medicare’s Open Enrollment period and haven’t gotten your new card or welcome packet, contact your plan for help.

If you changed from a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) back to Original Medicare, use your red, white, and blue Medicare card when you go to the doctor. Get a new card if you lost or damaged yours, or need to update your information.

2. Did you budget for this year’s Medicare Part B deductible?
Don’t forget, if you have Medicare Part B and are in Original Medicare, now that it’s a new year you’ll have to meet your deductible before your Medicare coverage pays for services and supplies.

This year, the Medicare Part B deductible is $140 – lower than last year! Make sure to plan your health care budget to account for the increased cost of doctor visits for the time that it will take to cover your deductible.

3. Have you made appointments to get any preventive tests or screenings?
Medicare covers many preventive services to keep you healthy and screenings to check for health problems. Many of these services are covered each year. Ask your doctor when during the year you should schedule your wellness visit and other screenings. You can also use mymedicare.gov to track your visits and make a calendar of preventive services.

Medicare also covers 2 new preventive services:
       1. Alcohol Misuse Screenings
       2. Depression Counseling

Talk to your doctor about these covered preventive services to find out what’s right for your health needs.

4. Does your drug or health plan meet your needs?
If not, Medicare has a new way for you to get the coverage you want instead of having to wait for this year’s Open Enrollment. At any time during the year, you can switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan that has a 5-star rating.

Plan ratings are based on member surveys, information from doctors and health care providers, and other sources. The plan ratings are scores that show the quality and performance of the plan, on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being the highest rated plans.

You can make this change once per calendar year. Find 5-star health and drug plans in your area.

5. Is your doctor using Electronic Health Records and Electronic Prescribing to provide better care?
Using Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and electronic prescribing can help reduce paperwork, medical errors, and health care costs. These methods can also help doctors communicate better with each other about your care. For example, when you visit a specialist, your primary care doctor can send them your screening information and results. That way, you won’t have to have duplicate screenings and tests. Ask your doctor about what they’re doing to use EHRs and electronic prescribing to better coordinate your health care. Find out more about EHRs and electronic prescribing.

Remember to check http://www.medicare.gov/ for the latest Medicare news and information, and have a healthy 2012.

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