AWHP CEO Millicent Gorham makes a statement in response to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s decision to discontinue coverage of obesity medications in its fully insured large group commercial plans.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) today released its final breast cancer screening guidelines. AWHP commends the USPSTF for recommending that women at average risk for breast cancer begin screening at age 40, but is disappointed that the guidelines do not include recommendations for annual screening or for women with dense breasts.

In partnership with ten leading organizations across the healthcare community, AWHP launched EveryBODY Covered, the first campaign aiming to activate women to advocate for insurance coverage of comprehensive obesity care.

AWHP has awarded its inaugural grant to the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) to analyze these recent trends in cervical cancer screening and detection from a diverse population of women who are currently underrepresented in the data used by the U.S. government to set guidelines for screening.

USPSTF is a critical driver of patient access to preventive health care. It needs a budget increase of $3M for FY2024, bringing its total budget from $11.5M to $14.5M.

Together with 22 national organizations, AWHP delivered an open letter to President Biden regarding the Braidwood Management v. Becerra ruling. The letter urges the Biden administration to consider all available options to thwart the devastating impacts of this ruling, which, if upheld, would put access to critical preventive services in jeopardy for millions of Americans.

USPSTF issued new draft guidelines expanding its recommendations for breast cancer screenings to encompass a broader age range, an update from the guidelines published in 2016.

A federal judge in Texas struck down a key provision in the Affordable Care Act that mandates insurers provide certain preventive services for free, including screenings for cancer and other chronic diseases as well as certain pregnancy care services.

AWHP named Millicent Gorham as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Gorham brings over three decades of leadership experience in healthcare and advocacy and has been with AWHP since the organization’s founding in 2022, serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors.