American women ought to be able to get their birth control for free, according to a from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). 聽The group is the latest to weigh in on which preventive services health insurers should have to offer at no cost under the new health law.
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Officials at the聽Department of Health and Human Services聽asked聽the IOM, an independent and well-respected research organization,聽to advise what services should be considered essential. The birth control decision has , with anti-abortion groups arguing that contraception is against the religious beliefs of some Americans, and that some forms of emergency contraception, including , are聽akin to early abortion.
The IOM report recommends that health insurers skip the co-pay for all contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration.聽For聽birth control pills, that can聽cost about聽$25 each month.聽 Condoms also are聽included on the and could be provided at no cost to patients.聽 According to the from the IOM, 鈥淸w]omen with unintended pregnancies are more likely to receive delayed or no prenatal care and to smoke, consume alcohol, be depressed, and experience domestic violence during pregnancy.聽Unintended pregnancy also increases the risk of babies being born preterm or at a low birth weight, both of which raise their chances of health and developmental problems.鈥�
The IOM also recommended that women older than聽30 be eligible to receive free tests along with their annual Pap smears to detect聽cervical cancer. Screening for HPV, the virus that causes cervical and other cancers, the IOM report maintains, can increase the chances of identifying women at risk and providing early treatment.
Other聽preventive services recommended in the report include:
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅� screening for gestational diabetes
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅� counseling on sexually transmitted infections
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅� counseling and screening for HIV
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅� lactation counseling and equipment to promote breast-feeding
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅� screening and counseling to detect and prevent interpersonal and domestic violence
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅� yearly well-woman preventive care visits to obtain recommended preventive services
The final decision on what services will be considered 鈥減reventive鈥� will be made by HHS. Insurers who participate in聽the set up under the聽health law will聽have to follow this determination.