Summary: The ACA seeks to increase the quality of care while simultaneously reduce cost. One provision which accomplishes both is preventive care.

12 days of Obamacare

In keeping with the holiday traditions, we thought it would be fun to focus on the 12 days of Obamacare. As such,

On the third day of Obamacare, Obama gave to me:

Preventive Care

Healthcare Exchanges

And an Individual Mandate

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was designed with two main goals in mind: increase quality and decrease costs. Therefore, each provision addresses one or both of these goals, preferably in tandem or in conjunction with one another. Preventive care certainly addresses both of these Preventive Caregoals. Preventive care is designed to detect and treat illnesses and conditions earlier in the process by providing wellness initiatives which are neither subject to a copay nor coinsurance, providing the provider is considered “in network”. Chronic diseases are of special interest as they can be very costly and individuals can and do have more than one chronic disease. Early diagnosis and treatment can limit the severity of the condition(s), reduce the overall treatment time, and substantially reduce treatment costs. Chronic conditions include such illnesses as: mental health, substance abuse, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and being overweight.

By concentrating on the causes of chronic disease, the ACA helps move a nation from a focus on sickness and disease to one based on wellness and prevention.

Preventive Care for Adults

Some of the more common preventive services for adults include:

Alcohol Misuse Screening and Counseling

Aspirin Use to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

Blood Pressure Screening

Cholesterol Screening

Depression Screening

HIV Screening

Immunization Vaccines Such as for the Flu or Measles

Obesity Screening and Counseling

Tobacco Use Screening

Preventive Care for Women:

The ACA goes a step further and has specific preventive care for women. Some of these services include:

Anemia Screening

Breast Cancer Genetic Test Counseling (BRCA)

Mammography Screenings

Cervical Cancer Screening

Hepatitis B Screening

Human Papillomavirus DNA Test

Osteoporosis Sreening

Urinary Tract or Other Infection Screening

Preventive Health Services for Children

To round out the ACA requirements for at least the marketplace plans, there are several services that are specific to children that are considered preventive. Some of these services include:

Autism Screening

Behavioral assessments

Blood pressure screening

Developmental screening

Fluoride chemoprevention supplements

Hearing screening

Height, weight and body mass index measurements

Immunization Vaccines

Iron Supplements

Lead screening

Oral health risk assessment

Tuberculin testing

Vision screening

Preventive care addresses both cost containment and quality, which are the two main thrusts of the ACA. Preventive care shifts focus from reactive to proactive and from sickness and disease to wellness and prevention.  By focusing on the quality of care, cost containment should be accomplished in the long run, especially with a critical focus upon chronic diseases, such as obesity and heart disease. As Benjamin Franklin said so eloquently, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

Preventive Care

To find out more on the ACA, please download our “Affordable Care Act in a Nutshell” white paper by clicking below.