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Affordable Care Act to provide preventive health care coverage to millions with diabetes

The Obama Administration has announced implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which will require new insurance plans to provide preventive care without cost-sharing to millions of Americans.

With expanded access to preventive services, individuals may obtain the information they need to make health care decisions that are right for them. For example, under the new act, asymptomatic adults with sustained hypertension will have access to diabetes screening and adults and children will have access to obesity screening and counseling, at no extra cost.

Organizations such as the American Diabetes Association are supportive of the obesity screening provisions and diabetes-related preventive measures. Current ADA guidelines recommended screening overweight adults and those who have additional risk factors such as physical inactivity or family history, members of high-risk population groups, women diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and people with other common diabetes risk factors.

According to an ADA release, the organization said it “looks forward to working with the Obama Administration and Congress to ensure that people have access to diabetes screenings, as well as to the preventive services that help to manage the disease and prevent complications following diagnosis.”

The Affordable Care Act is expected to be implemented in September.