Health Care Reform

The Affordable Care Act provides vitally important advances for the health of women and their families.  As the law is implemented on the state and federal levels, and as more Americans gain access to health insurance, we’re working to ensure that new health care law benefits women as part of our effort to improve women’s health.

Highlights

Reports & Toolkits | We've Got You Covered: What Women Need To Know About Health Care Enrollment

September 20, 2013

The health care law—sometimes called Obamacare—will make health coverage more affordable and easier to obtain for millions of American women. Starting in October, millions of American women will be able to enroll in new, affordable insurance, with coverage effective as early as January 1, 2014. In each state, women will be able to choose a high quality plan that covers important health services like maternity care, prescription drugs, and preventive health services. These resources provide women and their families with information about the new health coverage options available through a Health Insurance Marketplace in their state.

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Fact Sheet | Strong Public Support Continues for States to Accept Federal Funds to Cover More Uninsured People Through Medicaid

April 9, 2013

A new national survey sponsored by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families and the National Women’s Law Center shows strong support among adults 18 and older for their states to accept federal dollars that have been allocated to cover more uninsured people through Medicaid.  The survey, conducted March 15-19, 2013 among 1,016 adults 18 and older, has a margin of error of + 4 percentage points.

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Legal Briefs & Testimony | NWLC Amicus Briefs Supporting the Contraceptive Coverage Benefit

August 12, 2013

The Center is filing friend of the court briefs in lawsuits challenging the federal contraceptive coverage benefit, brought by employers who want to deny their employees this important benefit.  These cases involve suits brought under the First Amendment to the US Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.  These cases will decide whether a boss’s religious beliefs trump women’s health and women’s access to the health care they need.

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Fact Sheet | Women’s Access to Preventive Services Affirmed by HHS

February 22, 2013

On February 20, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services released a set of Frequently Asked Questions which clarified many issues related to implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s preventive services requirement.  The FAQ is an important step towards ensuring that insurance plans and issuers implement the Women’s Preventive Health Services provision so that women get the comprehensive and affordable services guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act.  While the FAQ leaves some implementation questions unanswered, the National Women’s Law Center is pleased that the Department addressed several major issues to make sure that women have the coverage required by the law.  The charts below summarize implementation issues and how the FAQ responds to them.

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More Resources

Reports & Toolkits | Reform Matters Toolkit: What Advocates Need to Know: Section 5 - Comprehensive Benefits

June 09, 2008
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Reports & Toolkits | Reform Matters Toolkit: What Advocates Need to Know: Section 6 - Health Care Quality

June 09, 2008
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Reports & Toolkits | Reform Matters Toolkit: What Advocates Need to Know: Section 8 - Talking About Health Care Reform

June 09, 2008
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Fact Sheet | Reproductive Health Care and Health Reform

June 09, 2008

Women’s reproductive health is too often segregated from women’s health care in general, and women’s reproductive needs have come to be seen as a secondary set of concerns rather than an integral part of their health and wellbeing. Yet, reproductive health is a key determinant of overall women’s health. To be truly comprehensive, health care must include women’s reproductive health needs.

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Fact Sheet | The Federal Poverty Level: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?

June 09, 2008
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