Free preventive care for women: What's covered?

Health insurers will have to provide birth control free of charge - with no co-pays - to women. And that's just one of several new forms of preventive care that will be extended to women under rules announced by the Health and Human Services Department. Keep clicking to see what else will be covered...

Family planning services

In addition to contraceptives, insurers must provide women with family planning counseling and services, including sterilization procedures and so-called "abortifacient" drugs.

Well-woman visits

Annual "well-woman" doctor's visits, including mammograms and other recommended diagnostic tests, will be covered without any co-pays.

Gestational diabetes screening

Testing for gestational (pregnancy-related) diabetes will be covered for women between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, as well as other pregnant women at risk for gestational diabetes.

Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling

Pregnant and post-partum women will have access to breast-feeding equipment and supplies (including pumps) and counseling from trained providers.

Testing for HIV and other STDs

Sexually active women will have access to annual testing for and counseling on HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Between 1999 to 2003, the CDC reported a 15 percent increase in AIDS cases among women, and a 1 percent increase among men.

Screening for HPV

No matter what the results of pap smear screening, women age 30 or older will have access to high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing every three years. Early screening, detection, and treatment have been shown to help reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer.

Domestic violence screening and counseling

Both screening and counseling for domestic violence will be provided for all women. An estimated 25 percent of women in the U.S. report being targets of "intimate partner" violence at some point.