Coming Soon: Routine HIV Testing in Your Doctor's Office

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (PSTF) is expected to publish a new recommendation that HIV testing should be part of routine well-patient doctor's office visits. News service Reuters reports the recommendation is expected to be published for public comments before the end of the year. The CDC has already made similar recommendations, but their recommendations are guidance that doctors and insurers can choose to follow or not. If the PSTF recommendation goes into effect, HIV testing will become part of the package of preventive services all insurers must pay for under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

NAPWA supports this. Making HIV testing routine for all Americans of reproductive age will go a long way towards reducing the shame too many of us feel for even asking to be tested. It's also good public health policy. If we're serious about containing health care costs, we need to move from today's system of late, expensive care for acute conditions to one relying on prevention and early detection and treatment to keep conditions from becoming acute.