Screening for Intimate Partner Violence

More than a decade has passed since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) required screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) and related counseling with no co -payment and eliminated insurers' ability to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions, including IPV. While screening for IPV and coverage of services became more feasible after implementation of the ACA, in theory, gaps remain. Nearly half of women in the United States report that they have experienced IPV in their lifetime, but the true number is likely even higher. In this column, I review screening recommendations for IPV and related policies, gaps in research on groups at higher risk, systems -level approaches to increase screening, and recommendations from professional organizations on screening and supporting IPV survivors.