CDC: Insured, higher income adults more likely to receive nine preventive services

U.S. adults with health insurance or higher incomes were more likely to receive nine recommended clinical preventive services in 2011-2012, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The services, which most health plans must cover without copayments or deductibles under the Affordable Care Act, and the total share of adults who received them are: blood pressure screening, 82.9%; cholesterol screening, 70%; breast cancer screening, 61.6%; cervical cancer screening, 59.4%; diabetes screening, 45.3%; hepatitis B vaccination, 38.8%; diet counseling, 26.9%; colon cancer screening, 23.6%; and hepatitis A vaccination, 12.7%. “While insurance coverage is not the only barrier to receiving services, efforts to increase enrollment and coverage retention could help increase receipt of preventive services and reduce avoidable complications from illness, long-term health care costs and premature death,” the report states. The findings are from the National Health Interview Survey.