Having a Vagina Just Got Way Cheaper!

“With the passing of this bill, being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition" - Representative Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House - March 2012. This August marked the beginning of big changes that are about to affect your life and your vagina. We all know the key to preventing disease is finding it before it’s too late. Thanks to new laws put into place by the Affordable Health Care Act “well
care", also known as preventative care, will become a lot more accessible. They key to taking advantage of these laws is knowing your rights, so I wanted to give you a brief synopsis of all the covered services.

All FDA approved birth control, including I.U.Ds, are now covered with a doctor’s prescription. That means that when you go to the pharmacy to pick up your pills you should have no co-pay whatsoever. Once a year
wellness visits, including a pap smear, are also now covered 100%. Once a year you can go to your doctor for a full female check-up and will be able to walk out the door without paying a cent. This means there is no excuse to not get an annual check-up; this could help increase early detection of cancer and other life threatening diseases. All testing for H.I.V., H.P.V and gestational diabetes will be covered at 100% as much as it is needed. Women who are breastfeeding will now have access to counseling and training, along with free rental of breast pump supplies if they are unable to afford their own. There is a big push to get women to breast feed their children due to all the recent research stating the health benefits to the mother and the child. Counseling and screening for domestic violence will also be free to those that need it. Money will no longer be a barrier to getting help and getting out of a tough situation. America is stepping up and showing some serious love for the Vagina.

As always, there are some downsides or stipulations that you need to know. Although these changes went into effect on August 1st, it may be a while before you start to see them in your daily life. When you go to
the counter to pick up your birth control, you may have to pay your normal co-pay for a few more months. Some insurance providers have taken advantage of stipulations that give them a little while to switch over their coverage, but the law does state that they may have to reimburse you once they officially switch. This means that you may pay now and get a check for that money in a few months. There is also a clause for religious companies. They do not have to provide this coverage if it is in direct conflict with what they believe. If you work for a religious based company, you may still have co-pays. Some insurance companies may also ask you to switch the pill that you are taking. If a generic pill will work for you, they are encouraged to ask you to switch to it to save the insurance company money. Your doctor should discuss this with you when they are writing your prescription.

I will continue to update our readers as more changes go into effect. For now, time to book those annuals ladies!

~S