Oil changes now required to be covered under auto insurance

Ridiculous as that may sound it is no more ridiculous than requiring health insurance to pay 100% for all birth control for women.  HHS just announced guidelines for a wide array of preventive services for women to be covered at 100% by health insurance effective for most coverage with the plan year beginning after August 2012.   While you can’t argue with encouraging and supporting services related to preventing illness, when did pregnancy become an illness?

“Eliminating cost sharing for these crucial preventive services will make needed care more accessible and will improve the health of millions of women,” said Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin.

There are several services in the new guidelines where the above statement is  true, however it is not true for contraceptives. Most prescription plans cover this medication currently, but by choice and with normal co-pays.  Even this is questionable as is coverage for ED medication for men.   These are voluntary,  predictable items with relatively low-cost, like an oil change, new brakes or tires.  And yes, the concept is exactly the same.  Insurance was never designed to cover a medication that costs less than $20 per month and whose use is one option among many.

As long as we cannot accept the true purpose of health insurance, we will never come to grips with health care costs.   The list of so-called preventive services covered in full will likely continue to expand exacerbating both the cost problem and the idea that we as individuals somehow have little responsibility for our health care and its cost…what did you pay for texting last month?

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