In an effort to reduce breast cancer incidence and mortality rates, Obamacare plans on offering women who have an increased risk of developing the disease based on genetics and other factors free preventive medications, Counsel and Heal reported.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that significant advancements are being made in giving women who have a high risk of developing breast cancer access to preventive treatment.

"We are making significant advancements in combating this disease - and for women who are shown to be at a higher relative risk for breast cancer, today, access to early treatments can improve their health," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius reported by USA Today.

Certain drugs, such as tamoxifen and raloxifene, will be categorized as preventive medications under the latest set of guidelines as part of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, Counsel and Heal reported. This means women will not have to pay co-pays or co-insurance for them.

The decision to make these drugs accessible at came after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that clinicians offer the medications as preventive care to women at higher risk of breast cancer.

The federal agency and the task force hope the new guidelines will improve breast cancer mortality rates, reduce the number of diagnoses, catch cancers early on and improve survival rates.

"We've known that we can reduce the risk of breast cancer for women at high risk. But despite the knowledge and availability there is little traction in the clinical and patient community [for these drugs]," Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, is quoted as saying by TIME. "For some women, the question may have been cost and affordability. For that segment of the population, this might make a difference."

USA Today reported that the new rule would apply to anyone on Medicaid or Medicare, as well as those whose private insurance policies came after the law was signed in 2010.