If you're a woman, state law requires health insurers to give you access to women's health care providers. You can also refer yourself to services like:
- Maternity care
- Reproductive health services
- Gynecological care
- General exams
- Preventive care
Women’s health care providers include:
- Licensed specialty doctors, such as gynecologists and obstetricians
- Licensed physician assistants or registered nurse practitioners specializing in women's health and midwifery
Your health insurance company must let you:
- Choose from a list of women's health care providers
- Refer yourself to women's health care providers on your plan
Women's health services your plan must cover
Due to changes to laws about health care, most plans cover certain preventive health services for women, such as:
- Breastfeeding supplies
- Counseling for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Domestic violence screening
- Screening for diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
- HPV (human papillomavirus) testing
- Breast x-rays (mammograms)
- Prescription birth control (contraceptives)
- Yearly women's health visits (including routine breast and pelvic exams)
If you receive these services from a provider on an individual or small group plan, you won't have to pay copayments or coinsurance. The charges also won't apply to your yearly deductible.