Giving It Our Best Shot

No parent wants their child to get sick. A critical step to make sure your kids stay healthy is getting them the vaccinations they need.  The Affordable Care Act helps parents meet that need and keep their kids as healthy as possible.

Under the new health reform law, individuals who are enrolled in new group or individual private health plans after September 23, 2010 won’t have to pay any cost-sharing for certain recommended preventive services.  No cost-sharing means no deductibles, no co-pays, and no co-insurance.

That includes many of the vaccinations doctors recommend for kids.  So if you’re a parent and you’re in a new plan, the following vaccinations come without a bill :

• For children (up to 18 years of age), this includes: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis; Haemophilus Influenzae Type B; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (for females); Inactivated Poliovirus; Influenza; Measles, Mumps, Rubella; Meningococcal; Rotavirus; and Varicella.
• For adults (19 years and older), this includes: Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Herpes Zoster; Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (for females); Influenza; Measles, Mumps, Rubella; Meningococcal; Pneumococcal; Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis; and Varicella.
• Note: Make sure you check out this fact sheet for more information on age-appropriate immunization schedules.

So for open enrollment season: Make sure you ask your plan, or any plans you’re considering, about which preventive services are covered and what kind of cost-sharing requirements exist.

Removing cost-sharing requirements for preventive care helps—and is good news for family budgets. A little prevention can go a long way toward not only reducing overall costs, but also having a healthier population in the future.