Women's Preventive Care Guidelines Get $1M Update
Women with private coverage may see future changes to no-cost preventive services as funding targets rural and underserved communities.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Women’s Health
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The Department of Health and Human Services announced a funding opportunity of up to $1 million to update women's preventive health care guidelines. Organizations have until January 8, 2027, to apply through Grants.gov.
Why it matters
The funding supports the Women's Initiative for Screening and Health (WISH) program, which will convene a panel of at least 10 experts to review existing evidence and recommend updates or reaffirmations to HRSA-supported Women's Preventive Services Guidelines. Those guidelines shape which screenings and preventive services insurers are generally required to cover without cost sharing.
The announcement is a federal funding notice rather than a study, so no trial or cohort results are reported. The most concrete figure is an HHS estimate from 2022 that about 58 million women had private health insurance covering preventive services without cost sharing.
The players
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
HRSA is the federal agency that administers the Women's Preventive Services Guidelines and funds preventive care programs for underserved populations.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS is the federal department responsible for national public health programs, including preventive care policy and health insurance coverage standards.
The details
HRSA funds one organization to assemble a multidisciplinary panel of at least 10 experts who will examine existing scientific evidence on women's preventive care. The panel's recommendations feed into the HRSA-supported Women's Preventive Services Guidelines. Under federal law, most non-grandfathered private health insurance plans are generally required to cover HRSA-supported preventive services without copayments, deductibles, or coinsurance. The selected organization will also develop educational materials for communities with limited resources, with an emphasis on medically underserved women, including those in rural and frontier communities. Applicants must keep active registrations with SAM.gov and Grants.gov.
Timeline
November 6, 2026: HHS announced the funding opportunity.
January 8, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET: Application deadline on Grants.gov.
Fiscal year 2027: Period during which the WISH program will be funded.
Health Landscape
Under the Affordable Care Act's preventive services requirement, HRSA's Women's Preventive Services Guidelines determine which screenings and services most private plans must cover without cost sharing. This funding is aimed at keeping those guidelines current, with a stated focus on reaching women in rural and frontier communities who face access barriers.
If you have private insurance, the preventive services covered under HRSA's guidelines are generally available without copayments or deductibles, so it is worth asking your clinician which screenings are due for you. Updates to these guidelines could expand or refine what is covered, so it is worth checking with your plan about any changes in coverage over time.
The takeaway
The guidelines behind no-cost women's preventive care are being updated with a focus on underserved communities. Ask your clinician which preventive screenings apply to you at your next checkup.
What happens next
Applications for funding opportunity HRSA-27-072 are due January 8, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET through Grants.gov, and the WISH program will be funded during fiscal year 2027.
Further reading
For more background on how these services are shaped, explore Women's Health coverage on We are Healthy.
More information
Review the Grants.gov funding opportunity HRSA-27-072 application portal for the full notice and application requirements.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dailyfly News.
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