New plans will be required to cover a wide range of early detection services Laurie Ure CNN August 01, 2012 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- New health care benefits kick in Wednesday requiring coverage of preventive services and screenings largely affecting women -- another facet of the Obama administration's controversial health care law.

Beginning August 1, all new and non-grandfathered insurance plans will be required to cover a wide range of early detection services, including mammograms and cervical cancer screenings, without co-payments or other cost sharing requirements.

"The top killers of women will now no longer go undetected," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland, who spearheaded the push on Capitol Hill to include the requirement in the health care overhaul.

"We eliminate the barriers to care," Mikulski emphasized, arguing that the most important deterrent to women seeking medical attention has been the cost of insurance co-pays and deductibles.

While Americans remain sharply divided over the Affordable Care Act -- President Barack Obama's signature legislative accomplishment -- several specific provisions already in effect have proven to be popular with the public. Among other things, the law also allows children to remain on a parent's health plan until age 26. It also prohibits the denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions, and eliminates the maximum lifetime dollar limit for an insured individual's care.

While insurance plans in effect before the law was enacted in March 2010 are not required to follow the new rules yet, policies used by 90% of the largest U.S. companies will lose their grandfathered status by 2014, according to Mikulski's office.

Most health insurance plans, however, already cover preventive care, industry representatives tell CNN. Some do not require any co-pay for these services.

"In fact, not only do health plans cover these services, they encourage policy holders to get recommended preventive care, such as preventive tests/screenings and immunizations," said Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, the national trade association representing the health insurance industry. "Promoting prevention and wellness has always been a top priority for health plans."

The new policy requires insurers to cover a comprehensive set of set of preventive services, including both prenatal and postnatal care, breastfeeding supplies, domestic violence counseling, and screening for gestational diabetes.

But by far the most controversial aspect of the new policy is its contraception coverage.

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New Health Care Benefits For Women Begin Wednesday