Prenatal preventative care covered

The medical services provided to pregnant women in the United States changed significantly on Aug. 1. The Affordable Care Act now requires insurance providers and Medicaid to cover clinical preventative services for women without charging co-pay, co-insurance or deductibles, according to California Public News Service.

The new requirements will cover prenatal care but not maternity care, though all maternity care will be covered by all new individual, small-business and government exchange plans beginning in 2014. National rates of women dying during or shortly after pregnancy have steadily risen in recent years.

“This is a big win for women in California,” said Dr. Elliot Main, director of the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, noting that millions of women will now gain access to health care.