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Seniors enrolled in Medicare will be able to receive no-cost preventive services - including breast cancer screening - under a provision of the federal Healthcare Reform Law .

Starting in January, seniors enrolled in Medicare will be able to receive no-cost preventive services - including breast cancer screening - under a provision of the federal health reform law (PL 111-148), the Washington Post/Kaiser Health News reports. The provision applies to annual wellness visits - which assess a person's health risks and examine functional and cognitive abilities - as well as all preventive services and screenings that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has given an A or B recommendation for the age group.

Currently, seniors enrolled in traditional Medicare pay 20% of the cost for most preventive care. Beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans will not be eligible for the no-cost screening s and services, although most MA plans already offer no-cost services.

According to the Post/KHN, cost remains a "stumbling block" to accessing preventive care. A 2008 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a $12 copayment for a mammogram in Medicare's managed-care plans resulted in screening rates that were eight to 11 percentage points lower compared to women in plans that did not require a copay. Another study found that a copay increase of $10 for physician office visits resulted in a 20% decline in appointments among seniors (Andrews, Washington Post/Kaiser Health News, 8/10).

Source: KHN