The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) commends the Obama Administration for the release of new rules on preventive care as part of the newly enacted Affordable Care Act (ACA). These new regulations require private health plans to cover evidence-based preventive services and eliminate cost sharing for preventive care.

"These ground-breaking rules will allow health center patients who currently have insurance coverage to gain better access to life-saving preventive services that may be offered beyond a health center," says Dr. David Stevens, Associate Medical Director and Director of the Quality Center at NACHC. "By investing in preventive measures, we are one step closer to a health care system that focuses on keeping people healthy, rather than treating patients when they are already sick."

Statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services reveal that chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are responsible for seven of ten deaths among Americans each year. These chronic diseases also account for 75 percent of the nation's health spending. Nationally, Americans use preventive services at about half the recommended rate because, for the most part, these services are unaffordable due to cost sharing, high deductibles, or copayments.