Because of the healthcare reform act, more than 1.2 million Florida seniors and disabled persons received at least one preventive service during the first half of 2012 without having to pay anything out-of-pocket, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.

The act, which emphasizes the values of regular screenings to detect problems before they become expensive diseases, requires Medicare to offer annual wellness visits and some other basic tests, such as cancer screenings, without patients having to make co-payments.

Fifty-six percent of recipients with original Medicare in Florida took advantage of that provision so far in 2012, HHS said.

Nationwide, over 16 million had at least one preventive service in the first six months of 2012, the department said. In 2011, about 32 million received one or more preventive services.