How Will The Affordable Care Act, "Obamacare" Help Women?
Starting in January 2014, most people were required to have health insurance. The Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," makes it easier for women to get the services that they need to stay healthy through all life stages, and across all socioeconomic levels.
Under The ACA, The Following Services Have No Co-Pay:
- All FDA Approved Methods of Birth Control
- Sexually Transmitted Infections Screening
- Well Woman Exams
- Cancer Screenings (pap tests and mammograms)
Are Abortion Services Covered?
If state law does not prohibit it, insurance companies nearly always cover abortion care. It's important to remember when shopping for insurance to ask if your insurance plan includes abortion care coverage.
The ACA Ensures Women Have:
Preventive Care that we need to stay healthy, without costly co-pays that make health insurance too expensive to use.
Protection against discriminatory health insurer practices, like charging women more money than men for the same policy, or refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions.
Security in knowing that insurers can't cancel our coverage when we get sick, refuse to cover our medical care if it's very expensive, or drastically increase our premiums.
How Can You Get Covered?
Call us for help getting Medi-Cal coverage: 1.800.714.8151
You may visit CoveredCA.org to enroll in low-cost health insurance.
Sources:
Raising Women's Voices (2013, July), fact sheets
National Women's Health Network, The Women's Health Activist Newsletter (2013, September/October)
Covered California (2013, April). Getting yourself and your family covered Fact Sheet