Being a Woman JustGot a Little Easier: How the Affordable Care Act Benefits Women - Historically,women have not had equal access to essential health coverage and care. Women havebeen charged higher insurance premiums than men simply because they are women.
And they’ve had no guarantee that the health coverage theypurchase will cover the women’s health services that they need. The AffordableCare Act is one of the greatest victories for women’s rights in recent decades becauseit puts an end to this discrimination. The law improves access to care that isessential to women’s health, and it makes coverage more affordable. Already,millions of women are benefiting from the health care law, and more protectionsare on their way in 2014.
Americans withPre-Existing Conditions Are Protected by the Health Care Law - More than64.8 million Americans under the age of 65 have been diagnosed withpre-existing conditions that, without health reform, could lead to denials ofcoverage in the individual health insurance market. Without health reform, onein four (24.9 percent of) non-elderly Americans is at risk of being deniedcoverage.
Protects women andtheir families from insurance discrimination:
No morediscrimination based on a child’s pre-existing conditions. Healthinsurance companies can no longer deny children health coverage because theyhave a pre-existing condition or deny children coverage for health services totreat their pre-existing condition.
Insurance companies can no longer cancel yourhealth coverage when you get sick.
Insurance companiescan no longer place lifetime dollar limits on your coverage.
Insurance companies will have to increase their annualdollar limits on coverage until 2014, when they will no longer be able to placeany annual dollar caps on your coverage.
Young adults can now remain on their parent’s health planup to the age of 26. Already more than 3 million young adults have gainedcoverage under this provision of the law. This provides peace of mind formillions of moms and their young adult daughters.
and starting in 2014 . . .
Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny anyonehealth coverage or charge more for health coverage based on a pre-existingcondition. Nearly 30 percent of women (28.4 percent) in the United Stateshave a diagnosed pre-existing condition that, without the health care law,could lead to a denial of coverage. Thanks to the law, women will no longer be discriminated against becausethey have pre-existing conditions. They also won’t be denied coverage forhaving had a C-section or for having been a victim of domestic violence.
Simply being a woman will no longer be a pre-existingcondition. Insurance companies will no longer be able to charge women higherpremiums than men for the exact same health coverage. This will ensure that nowoman is ever again charged up to 85 percent more than a man for the exact samehealth coverage, simply because she is a woman.
Low- and middle-income families will receive tax creditsto help make coverage affordable. This means that 7 million women who arecurrently uninsured will be able to get tax credits that cover a portion oftheir monthly health insurance premiums, making coverage more affordable forthem and their families.
More low-income adults will be eligible for Medicaid. Thanksto the law, 10 million women who are currently uninsured may be able to gethealth coverage through Medicaid (if your state has opted to participate inMedicaid expansion).
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