Women Striding Forward
The incredible, true story of
what the Affordable Care Act
is doing for women and families
It’s about health care!
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Cancer screenings
Maternity care
Contraceptive coverage
No denial of coverage for pre-existing
conditions
• No gender discrimination in the price of
policies
Too many women cannot afford
the health care we need!
In 2010, 45 million women across
the United States reported that
because of the cost, they:
– Did not fill a prescription;
– Skipped a recommended test,
treatment or follow-up;
– Did not go to the doctor when
they had a medical problem or
– Did not see a specialist when it
was needed.
Commonwealth Fund, May 2011
Women losing coverage
in a tough economy
“I am a 40-year-old
survivor of breast
cancer. I lost my
coverage. I’ve lived in
this country and worked
all my life. Why don’t I
have health insurance
when I need it?”
The ACA will help no matter what
your age or income
• Help for women and families who are
uninsured and can’t afford health care.
• Help for women and families who have
insurance that doesn’t cover what they need,
or is too expensive to use.
• Coverage for women’s health needs across our
lifespans.
Prevention first!
All new insurance plans are required to cover key
preventive services, without charging us co-pays or
deductibles. Some have started already:
 mammograms
 Pap smears
 anemia & hepatitis B screening for pregnant
women
 blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol testing
 counseling about quitting smoking, losing weight,
choosing healthy foods, treating depression,
reducing alcohol use
New women’s preventive services
covered as soon as August 1
comprehensive contraceptive care!
an annual well-woman care exam
screening for sexually-transmitted diseases
breastfeeding counseling and equipment
screening for gestational diabetes
screening and counseling for intimate partner
violence
Keeping our kids healthy
 Well-baby visits
 Immunizations
 Screenings for autism, lead
exposure
 Vision and hearing tests
 Obesity screening
 Drug, alcohol use assessments
for adolescents
Protection from unfair insurance
company practices
• Insurers cannot cancel
your policy if you get
sick or make a mistake
in your insurance
application.
• Insurers cannot set
lifetime dollar limits on
the amount of medical
care they will cover. (No
annual limits in 2014)
No coverage denials for kids with
pre-existing conditions
Nurse Abby Drucker’s
grand-niece was born with
hearing loss. The family’s
health insurer denied
coverage for treatment,
calling it a “pre-existing
condition.” That is now
against the law.
Ensuring more of your health
premium dollars go to medical care
• Insurance companies now have to give rebates to
consumers if they don’t spend at least 80 percent of
the premium dollars they collect on actually
providing medical care.
• They will be forced to spend less on CEO salaries,
marketing and overhead.
• They have to make this information public, so you
can make better insurance choices.
Peace of mind for moms!
• Our young adult children can
stay on family health policies
until their 26th birthdays.
• Young adult does not have to
live at home, be unmarried or
be a dependent for tax
purposes.
• Important for young women in
prime reproductive years.
Looking ahead to 2014
• No charging women more
than men for the same
policy (“gender rating”)
• No denials of coverage for
adults with pre-existing
conditions.
• Maternity care must be
covered.
Covering millions more Americans
• New state insurance “exchanges” are due to
open in January 2014.
• Uninsured moderate-income individuals and
families can shop for private insurance made
more affordable by federal subsidies.
• More low-income people will be eligible for
Medicaid coverage.
The ACA:
Good for women and our families!
• Tell someone you know about what women
and our families are getting from the ACA.
• Host an educational session in your
neighborhood, your church or community
center.
• Distribute Countdown to Coverage fact sheets
in your community.
Tell women’s stories
www.CountdowntoCoverage.org
Raising Women’s Voices
for the Health Care We Need
www.raisingwomensvoices.net
Email: info@raisingwomensvoices.net
Tel: 212-870-2010
Twitter: @RWV4HealthCare