Blumenthal Praises Recommendation of Full Preventative Health Care Services for Women

(Washington, DC) – Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement this afternoon after the Institute of Medicine (IOM) announced it was recommending to the United States Department of Health and Human Services that health insurance plans should include comprehensive preventative health care services for women at no additional cost to the patient: 

“The Institute of Medicine’s report is huge and historic – in practical impact and national message. The recommendation that health plans provide the full range of preventive health services for women at no additional out-of-pocket cost to them is a strong step toward ensuring that women are treated equally in our health care system. Access to affordable contraception, cancer screenings, wellness checkups, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases for women in Connecticut and across the country will create healthier families and safe pregnancies. I would especially like to thank and commend my colleague from Maryland, Senator Barbara Mikulski, for her tireless work on this issue and her persistence in this fight, and I urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human services to adopt these recommendations.”

The IOM’s recommendations include:

·         Screening for gestational diabetes

·         HPV testing as part of cervical cancer screening for women over 30

·         Counseling on sexually transmitted infections

·         Counseling and screening for HIV

·         Contraceptive methods and counseling to prevent unintended pregnancies

·         Lactation counseling and equipment to promote breast-feeding

·         Screening and counseling to detect and prevent interpersonal and domestic violence

·         Yearly well-woman preventive care visits to obtain recommended preventive services

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