Medicare to pay for HIV testing

Reuters: "Americans enrolled in the U.S. government-run Medicare health insurance program will now be covered for tests that screen for HIV, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees the program for the elderly and disabled, said on Tuesday. The tests to detect the virus that causes AIDS will be covered for Medicare beneficiaries who are at increased risk for the infection, including pregnant women, CMS said, but it added that Medicare participants of any age who voluntarily request the service will also be covered" (Berkrot, 12/8).