Health Reform Legislation Expected To Have Major Benefits For Women

The health reform law (HR 3590) that President Obama signed Tuesday could have an "especially large" impact on women in the U.S., who make the majority of family health care decisions and generally live longer than men, Forbes Woman reports. According to the Department of Labor, women make an estimated 80% of health care decisions for their families. Women also tend to require more medical care over longer periods of time, and they have unique health care needs, such as pregnancy care.

The immediate effects of the law include a prohibition on the insurance practice of "gender rating," or charging higher premiums on the basis of gender. National Partnership for Women & Families Vice President Kirsten Sloan said, "Every woman who has been overcharged because of her gender won a victory."

The law prohibits insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, which in the past have sometimes been defined to include domestic violence, rape and previous caesarean sections. The law also requires health plans to cover certain maternity, newborn and pediatric care, including dental and vision care, according to the National Partnership. It also will expand the pool of Medicaid eligible individuals for a range of services, including family planning, as well fund a new home visitation program to pair new and expectant families with trained professionals to provide parenting information, resources and support during pregnancy and throughout their child's first three years.

Nancy Taylor, an attorney and former health policy director for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said the law will offer women more information and purchasing power for themselves and their families (Goudreau, Forbes Woman, 3/23).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.


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