Huge News: The Affordable Care Act Dictates Insurance Cover Breast Cancer Prevention Drugs

By Vera Viner

The Obama administration’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has brought significant changes to the healthcare system in this country. Young adults, for instance, are now allowed to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until they reach 26 years of age. Insurance companies can no longer claim proper health insurance from people with pre-existing conditions. Preventive services have also gained ground.

A new service that the Obama administration has issued is requiring insurance companies to cover the costs of the breast cancer drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene, according to Time Magazine. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force uncovered recently that these drugs are able to prevent breast cancer in women who are at high-risk.

Because the Affordable Care Act includes clauses that require insurance to cover preventive care, these drugs will be covered by health insurance companies without putting any other costs onto female patients.

“We’ve known that we can reduce the risk of breast cancer for women at high risk. But despite the knowledge and availability there is little traction in the clinical and patient community,” Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, told the source. ““For some women, the question may have been cost and affordability. For that segment of the population, this might make a difference.”

This new approach to breast cancer prevention for high-risk women will be taken care of by the insurance companies along with preventive screening methods. High-risk women are also covered for breast cancer genetic testing and the doctor consultation of the results.

This is truly wonderful news for those who’ve seen close family members battle the disease. If you’ve seen your mother or grandmother struggle with breast cancer, you should know that your daughters and nieces will have a higher chance of preventing this disease due to the Affordable Care Act.

Along with taking the appropriate medication, women at high-risk of breast cancer should also exercise regularly, eat a plant-based diet, abstain from smoking and excessive alcohol, and evade hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

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