Medicaid & Other Public Funding

Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people, is a critical source of health coverage for nearly 17 million nonelderly women across the country. Protecting Medicaid is essential to ensuring the health and well-being of millions of women and their families.

Highlights

Fact Sheet | The President’s FY2014 Budget and Women’s Health

April 24, 2013

On April 10th, the President released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2014. Compared to the recently released House Budget   the President’s budget demonstrates a commitment to preserving women’s access to the health care coverage and services they need. The President’s budget fully funds implementation of the Affordable Care Act and does not make drastic cuts to the Medicaid program. However, it does include cuts to the Medicare program that will increase beneficiaries out of pocket costs and make it harder for older women to afford the care they need.

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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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Fact Sheet | The Ryan Budget’s Catastrophic Health Cuts and their Impact on Women

March 14, 2013

Representative Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 includes devastating cuts to the health care programs women and families rely on.  Ryan would repeal the Affordable Care Act, make drastic cuts to Medicaid, and convert Medicare into a voucher program. These changes would leave millions of women and their families without the financial security of high-quality health insurance, unable to access the health care services they need, and facing dramatic increases in their healthcare costs.

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Fact Sheet | Job Loss: The Hidden Cost of Medicaid Cuts to Women

December 7, 2012

Medicaid provides vital, affordable health coverage to over 60 million low-income individuals and people with disabilities, yet it is often targeted when policymakers seek to curb spending. Cuts to Medicaid, however, would restrict access to health services for the millions of Americans who rely on this coverage, including nearly 21 million adult women.  These women are far more likely to be poor, have poorer health, and lower educational attainment than women covered by private insurance.  Medicaid provides these low-income women with comprehensive health care that improves their health outcomes.

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More Resources

Fact Sheet | NWLC Letter to Secretary Sebelius: Essential Health Benefits Bulletin, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight

February 02, 2012

On December 16, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a bulletin outlining their plans to implement the Essential Health Benefits provision of the Affordable Care Act.

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Fact Sheet | Letter to Secretary Sebelius: Inclusion of Preventive Services in Medicaid Expansion Benchmarks and Basic Health Plans

January 19, 2012

Dear Secretary Sebelius:
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Fact Sheet | The D.C. Abortion Ban Threatens Women's Health

November 15, 2011

The District of Columbia—unlike any other state—is currently barred from using its local funds to provide abortion services for low-income women.  This ban prohibits D.C. from deciding how to spend its own revenue and threatens the health of its residents.

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Fact Sheet | Contraceptive Coverage in the New Health Care Law: Frequently Asked Questions

November 04, 2011

The new health care law makes preventive care more accessible and affordable to millions of Americans. This is especially important to women, who are more likely than men to avoid needed health care, including preventive care, because of cost. To help address these cost barriers and make sure all women have access to preventive health care, one section of the new health care law requires all new private insurance plans to cover a wide range of preventive services, including services such as mammograms, pap smears, smoking prevention and contraceptives without co-payments or other cost sharing requirements.

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Fact Sheet, Webinars & Presentations | Resources for "If You Care About..., Then You Should Care About Reproductive Justice" Series

November 02, 2011

The National Women’s Law Center and Law Students for Reproductive Justice have developed a series of webinars for law students that look at the intersection of reproductive justice with other progressive advocacy issues. We hope that through this series, students will start thinking of the social justice and human rights underpinnings of progressive work, and how we can all work together toward our common goals.

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