Medicare to pay for HIV screening

Medicare will now cover HIV screening for beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Tuesday.

The policy was “strongly recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, allowing CMS to cover HIV screening effective immediately," CMS said in a statement. The policy will cover Medicare beneficiaries who are at increased risk for the infection, including women who are pregnant, as well as all beneficiaries who request the service. Changes to the law made under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) allow CMS to add to Medicare's list of covered preventive services without congressional authorization.

An estimated 19% of U.S. residents diagnosed with AIDS, a fatal disease resulting from HIV infection, are age 50 or older, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.