Reform Matters
Making Real Progress for Women and Health Care
Comprehensive, affordable health care is vital to women's well-being. Yet far too many women face serious obstacles in getting the health care they need.
Women are more likely than men to need and use health care, but also face more problems in obtaining and affording care. They are more likely to be poor and to encounter cost barriers to full coverage. Moreover, all too often, women face barriers to obtaining important health services, such as reproductive health care.
Women across the country also face harmful disparities in health care based on their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other factors. In particular, many low-income women and women of color confront systemic barriers to securing even the most basic levels of care.
The fight for progressive health care reform is currently at crossroads of major consequence at both the state and national levels, and addressing the barriers to women's health care access is more important than ever before. Indeed, women must be active and vocal advocates in this fight. To that end, the National Women's Law Center has launched Reform Matters: Making Real Progress for Women and Health Care.
NWLC's efforts include:
Reform Matters Toolkit: What Advocates Need to Know: Building from our Women and Health Coverage Issue Briefs and our Women and Medicaid Toolkit, the Reform Matters toolkit will help women's advocates be full participants in the health care reform movement. This resource outlines the basics of health care reform and explores several health reform issues and their impact on women's access to comprehensive, affordable, high-quality care. [Forthcoming]
Reform Matters Conference Call Series: NWLC is convening this monthly conversation to provide an on-going forum for women's advocates to discuss health care reform at the state and federal levels, share experiences and questions that have come up in addressing various health care reform proposals and connect with national health policy experts.
Technical and Informational Assistance: As states contemplate health care reform proposals, NWLC will provide technical assistance as requested, including written analysis of policy proposals, research and answers to specific questions, written testimony, presentations on the proposals, and meetings to discuss the proposals. To further discuss opportunities for technical assistance and collaboration, e-mail NWLC Senior Advisor Lisa Codispoti.
National Women and Health Care Coalition: NWLC continues to host a broad coalition of national organizations — including women's advocates, women's health advocates, labor unions and health advocates - to respond to health-related federal issues that affect women.