Accelerating Action to Implement HHS Women's Preventive Services: Guidelines for Well-Woman Visits including Preconception Care

By Kay Johnson

     The implementation of the Affordable Care Act will impact coverage, benefits, and access to care and will make it feasible to link preventive, preconception, prenatal, family planning, and other health care as part of a seamless continuum of care across the lifespan for women. On August 1, 2012, an estimated 47 million U.S. women gained  greater control over their health care and access to eight preventive health services without cost sharing.

     The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)  guidelines on women's preventive services require "non-grandfathered" health insurance plans to cover certain recommended preventive services specifically for women without charging a co-pay, co-insurance, or deductible beginning in plan years starting on or after August 1, 2012. These preventive services include: well-woman visits, screening for gestational diabetes, HPV DNA testing, domestic violence screening and counseling, HIV screening and counseling for sexually transmitted infections, breastfeeding supplies, contraceptive methods and family planning counseling. In terms of well-woman visits and preconception care, the HHS Guidelines call for: "Well-woman preventive care visit annually for adult women to obtain the recommended preventive services that are age and developmentally appropriate, including preconception and prenatal care."

     Click here to learn more about action you can take, as a state or local leader, to implement these new guidelines and to promote preconception care using this new powerful policy lever.   

Moving from Guidelines to Practice: Emergence of a Clinical Toolkit to Advance Routine Preconception Care

By Merry-K. Moos  

     The opportunity to reach large numbers of women annually with preventive services, including preconception care, was greatly enhanced in August when the Affordable Care Act expanded prevention coverage for women.   

     The new requirements alter how services are afforded by women; they do not, however, provide clinicians with guidance on what constitutes "preconception care" or how this care can be integrated into existing preventive services. Clinicians, policymakers, and consumers should recognize that quality preventive care constitutes preconception care for the majority of women. This is not necessarily about doing more, but rather about providing and receiving care through a slightly different lens.

     The PCHHC Clinical Work Group is creating a virtual tool kit on women's preventive health needs and preconception care.  Please click here to read more as well as to view a model on Integrating Preconception Health Promotion into Routine Preventive Care.