Medicare panel recommends coverage of STD screening for older adults

A recent article from the Miami Herald reveals that Medicare could begin to cover STD screening for seniors.  Medicare is health insurance for people 65 and older, and some people under 65 with certain disabilities. 

A panel from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recommended coverage in a recent memo.  A decision on coverage is due in November. 

Health care experts have encouraged this move as an important part of promoting prevention.  From the article:

“The belief that seniors are not sexually active and therefore not likely to contract STDs is a misconception,” says Naushira Pandya, chair of the department of geriatrics at Nova Southeastern University. “We need to start paying attention to the sexual health” of seniors.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are caused by infections that are passed from one person to another during sexual contact, and this includes people in all age groups.  There are many kinds of sexually transmitted diseases and infections. And they are very common — more than half of all of us will get one at some time in our lives.  The good news is that we can protect ourselves and each other from STDs.

Practicing safer sex allows you to reduce your risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases. And if you've done anything that puts you at risk of infection, getting tested allows you to get any treatments you may need. Find out if you should get tested for HIV, chlamydia, or gonorrhea, three dangerous STDs, with The Check.

Read the full article here.


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