A new analysis estimates that roughly 100 million privately insured Americans used Affordable Care Act (ACA)–covered preventive services in 2024, underscoring broad utilization of the law's no-cost preventive care benefit.
The report, based on commercial claims data from FAIR Health and researchers at George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health, estimates that more than 150 million people enrolled in ACA-compliant private insurance plans are eligible for preventive services without out-of-pocket costs.
Overall, about 62% of privately insured enrollees received at least one ACA-covered preventive service in 2024, with use observed in every state. Even in lower-utilization states, approximately four in ten enrollees received preventive care covered under the ACA mandate.
Utilization varied significantly depending on clinical indication and eligibility criteria. Among eligible populations, 66.1% of pregnant patients received gestational diabetes screening, while 46.1% of women ages 40–74 received breast cancer screening. By contrast, uptake was lower for some population-based screenings, including colorectal cancer screening at 18.2% among adults ages 45–75, reflecting differences in eligibility and screening patterns across services.
Preventive care use also varied across other recommended services, including screenings for cervical cancer, HIV, lung cancer, and osteoporosis, as well as genetic risk assessments such as BRCA testing.
The report highlights substantial variation in the underlying cost of preventive services when not covered under ACA cost-sharing protections.
Insurer-allowed amounts range from under $20 for gestational diabetes screening to more than $1,200 for BRCA genetic risk assessment and colorectal cancer screening. Even routine preventive services such as breast cancer screening can cost several hundred dollars per encounter.
Without ACA requirements eliminating cost-sharing, patients could face full provider charges or standard deductible and coinsurance costs, which can accumulate across multiple preventive visits. According to the analysis, a typical family using recommended preventive services may save more than $4,000 annually in out-of-pocket costs.
The ACA preventive benefit is built around evidence-based recommendations, primarily from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), along with federal advisory bodies covering immunizations and preventive services for children and women.
The report notes that removing cost-sharing barriers is associated with increased uptake of high-value preventive care, including cancer screenings, chronic disease risk assessments, and preventive therapies intended to detect or reduce disease progression earlier.
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