During 2020, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released the following A & B recommendations:
- Behavioral counseling to promote healthy diet/physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention in adults with cardiovascular risk factors;
- Behavioral counseling for sexually transmitted infections for all ages;
- Screenings for Hepatitis C Virus infection in adolescents and adults;
- Screenings to detect unhealthy drug use for all ages; and
- Primary care interventions for the prevention and cessation of tobacco use in children and adolescents. (Please note: Prior to 2020, tobacco cessation counseling services were only recommended for adults age 18+. If your plan applied an age limit, it will cease to apply when this recommendation takes effect for your plan.)
These services are required to be covered by plans on the first day of the plan year following one year from the date the recommendations were published. For example, if a recommendation was published on June 9, 2020, it would become effective under your plan on the first day of the plan year on or after June 9, 2021.
All non-grandfathered plans are currently set up to automatically cover new A & B recommendations as they get published, meaning that no action is required on your part.
If you have any questions regarding these recommendations, please contact your Account Management team.