September 24, 2010

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid touted the benefits from the Affordable Care Act that go into effect today to boost preventive care and screenings for children and women.  Under the new law, children can no longer be denied coverage because they have a pre-existing condition. All new plans are now required to offer preventive services to families with no additional out-of-pocket cost. This means screenings are included as a part of the premium that families pay for developmental disabilities like autism and vision screenings, along with regular wellness visits and immunizations for children, and osteoporosis checks for women over 60, and mammograms. The new provisions also allow pregnant women in new plans to get screening and prenatal checkups with no out-of-pocket cost. Also effective today is the elimination of lifetime dollar limits so kids and women who have serious conditions will no longer face their coverage ending just when they need it most.

“Some of the health reform provisions that take effect today ensure that women and children are able to get the health care they need,” said Reid. “By eliminating the co-pay and coinsurance costs of important regular check-ups and preventive screenings, we can identify, treat, and in some instances prevent long-term illnesses. Aside from lowering health care costs, these wellness provisions ensure Nevadans are able to live longer, healthier lives.”

In the last year, the number of uninsured children in Nevada has gone down by a quarter-percent. This decrease is due in part to action Senator Reid took to bolster federal Medicaid funding for Nevada and his work to reauthorize Nevada Check Up last year. The number of children with health insurance is expected to increase as provisions from the Affordable Care Act improve access to affordable, quality health insurance for Nevada families.