Washington, D.C. — Today, two days before key provisions of Obamacare go into effect, providing millions of women guaranteed access to preventive services, the Center for American Progress released a package of resources illustrating how women will be impacted by this significant implementation deadline.
“This is a tremendous milestone for women and their health. More than half the women in this country have delayed seeking health care due to the cost,” said Jessica Arons, Director of the Women’s Health and Rights Program at the Center for American Progress and author of the fact sheets. “Now women will be able to access a range of vital preventive services—from contraception to lactation supports to domestic violence screening and more—without having to worry about how they will pay for it. And they have Obamacare to thank for that.”
FACT SHEET: Young Women and Reproductive Health Care
Policymakers often treat reproductive health care differently from other forms of health care, but ask any young woman and she will tell you that gynecological care is a fundamental part of her health care. This year’s debate in Washington around contraception has at times missed the most important issue: When we talk about young women’s health care, most of the time we are talking about their reproductive health care.
FACT SHEET: State Efforts to Reject Contraceptive Coverage Laws on Religious Grounds
Conservative efforts to undermine the Obamacare provision that guarantees no-cost contraception have been happening at both the federal and state level. Nine states have considered legislation or ballot measures that would either reject the federal regulation or undermine contraceptive coverage in state law. This fact sheet provides an update on those state-level efforts.
VIDEO: Young Americans: What No-Cost Contraception Means to Us
On August 1 the Obamacare provision requiring coverage of contraception without co-pays or deductibles goes into effect. The provision will be phased in based on when plan years begin for new health plans. Because university health plans usually start in August, students will be some of the first to reap the law’s benefits. At the Campus Progress conference in Washington, D.C., we asked young Americans about what no-cost coverage of birth control will mean to them.
CAP expert available for comment:
This week, Jessica Arons, Director of the Women’s Health and Rights Program, is available to discuss the importance of women’s preventive services. To arrange an interview, please contact Katie Peters at 202.741.6285 or [email protected].
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