Obamacare and Women

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care law made a striking and remarkable change in the women healthcare scenario. The advent of the law in the year 2010 made rapid and swiping changes in the health sector of the United States of America. The legislation is considered to be the most important or essential advancement for women health and women’s health-related policy since the year 1965. The legislation helped to boost the percentage of women of the country availing a health insurance plan and also at the same time the medical care act helped to lower the costs or expenditure of health care for many women of the land. At the same time, the law benefitted women to receive quality service at an affordable rate.

The Obama care health reforms especially focus on women and the law helped to improve preventive care for women. It provided preventive services like mammograms, breastfeeding support, birth control and many more.

Under the Affordable Care Act, it became binding for the health insurance service provider that they cannot levy extra charges on women customers simply because they are women and also they cannot deny medical insurance coverage to women if she is suffering from a pre-existing condition. The law defined pre-existing health condition as a woman suffering from diseases like breast cancer, pregnancy, or depression from which they were suffering before applying or opting for a health insurance plan.  And the law also abolished health insurance service provider from setting a limitation on dollar or lifetime expenses on coverage.

Obama Care shows an equal healthcare rights for women.

Before the advent of the law, most of the women health care services were not covered under insurance plans provided by the service providers or it was only offered via co-pays or deductibles. At the current day scenario after the advent of the Affordable Care Act, a large arena of important preventative women’s health services are covered. The law also comprises free wellness checkups and provisions protecting women from gender discrimination.

Health Care benefits provided for women under the Affordable Care law.

The health care law made a striking effort to include women health under its consideration as well as to improve the same. The law included some essential benefits of women healthcare such as-

i) Obama care included maternity care under the purview of the health care insurance plans for women.  Before the launching of Obama care only around 12% of insurance plans included maternity care for women but it was after the Obama care that maternity care inclusion became mandatory for health insurance service providers.

ii) The law prohibited gender discrimination. Before the advent of the health care law, many insurers used to charge an extra rate of the premium amount. As a result of which women used to pay 1 billion dollars more than men each year. But it was ACA that prohibited health insurance service providers from charging an extra amount from women. And, at current scenario gender rating became an illegal concept.

iii) Women have more control over their health care as well as health care plans after the launching of the Obama care plans.

Obama care has indeed precisely shaped the healthcare and related scenario for women in the country. The law made an effort to provide affordable and quality service to women of the country.