Womenstake

Does the New Health Care Reform Law's "Under 26" Provision Help You or Someone You Love? Share Your Story!

by Stephanie Drahan, Outreach Associate
National Women's Law Center

As we like to repeat, in March, a historic health care reform law passed! In September, many of the provisions will start going into effect, including one of the most popular: the "under 26" or dependent coverage provision. 

This provision allows young adults who are under 26 and do not have job-based health insurance to stay on their parents' insurance plan until they turn 26. This gives lots of young adults some needed flexibility. They can hold out for that "dream" job. They can take that job that doesn't offer insurance, but provides them with irreplaceable experience. Or they can work in a job that doesn't offer health insurance, but does pay the bills while they intern or volunteer while looking for that "dream" job. How will this provision impact you? We want to hear your story!

I graduated from college—on time—at 22. My insurance was dropped about 10 days later. Upon graduation, my only plan was to enjoy my final summer, move to Boston, and start looking for jobs in the Fall. Unfortunately, that dream job did not come along right away, and instead I worked in a restaurant while volunteering at local reproductive rights organizations.

Stupak Amendment Lives

by Judy Waxman, Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights, 
National Women's Law Center

You are not having a moment of déjà vu. This is real. This is actually happening.

Tell the Administration to reconsider the harmful decision to undermine women’s reproductive health.

Earlier this year, women around the country stood up and spoke out against the Stupak Amendment, which would have prohibited women from obtaining coverage of abortion care, even with their own, private funds.

But recently, the Administration has indicated the intention to apply what is in effect the rejected Stupak Amendment to the newly unveiled pre-existing condition health insurance plans. This ban will prevent women with serious pre-existing medical conditions from getting the abortion coverage they need to protect their health — and will not even allow women the ability to pay for such coverage with their own private premium dollars.

Tell the Administration to reconsider this decision and stand up for the health of these vulnerable women.

My Favorite Things

by Stephanie Drahan, Outreach Associate
National Women's Law Center

Pop culture, sports and reproductive rights.

So imagine my delight, when assigned to watch the most recent episode of Friday Night Lights which deals with the prickly topic of abortion. I had first heard about this episode back in February when it debuted on DirecTV and overwhelmingly my pro-choice colleagues and friends raved about the way the show had handled this complex, often swept-under-the-rug-on-tv issue.

As many have noted in recent years, coverage of teen sexuality, and as a result teen pregnancy, has become more mainstream, both in pop culture (see:Jamie Lynn Spears and Bristol Palin) and also in teen television shows and movies (see: The Secret Life of The American Teenager, Glee, Juno, and Knocked Up). While in many ways, I do think it is refreshing to see a more accurate representation of what is actually happening in high schools across the nation, oftentimes the discussion surrounding teen pregnancy is woefully incomplete, with discussion of abortion either non-existent or an afterthought. FNL's depiction of teen pregnancy and ALL of the options, on the other hand, was understated, nuanced, non-partisan and heartfelt.

Sex Discrimination Happens in Health Care - Has it Happened to You?

by Judy Waxman, Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights, 
National Women's Law Center

How could insurance companies get away with charging women more than men for the same health coverage? Before President Obama signed the new health care reform law, it was legal to discriminate against women in an insurance company office, a doctor’s office, hospital or other health care settings.

The new health care reform law ends those days immediately. One of our victories in the new health reform law includes a landmark provision that is the first ever federal prohibition on sex discrimination in health care.

But as policy makers write new rules to implement the law, we need your help to make policy makers understand the discrimination women have faced in health care settings — share your story with us today. 

The new provision in the health care reform law bans discrimination by federally funded or operated health programs, including insurance companies, on the basis of race, national origin, disability, age, or sex. Beyond being the first federal prohibition on sex discrimination in health care, the law is a more expansive ban against discrimination based on race, national origin, disability and age than had previously existed.

But policy makers need to understand the daily struggles women face — they need to hear about your discrimination experience at the hospital, in your doctor’s office, or in any other health care setting. Share your story today and help us make sure discrimination against women in health care ends once and for all. 

Fewer Co-Pays on Preventive Care: Another Victory for Women's Health

by Brigette Courtot, Policy Analyst,
and Zoe Bartholomay, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

Another good thing coming from our new health reform law is much-needed support for women's preventive care! For too long, co-pays have kept low-income women from seeking preventive care for themselves and their children. 

Although women are more likely than men to seek preventive care, they are also more likely to forego this care due to cost. Co-pays have been shown to deter women from obtaining everything from dental work to vital cancer screenings.

Fortunately, a provision taking effect as early as September will provide free preventive services and screenings for women and free immunizations and screenings for children!

Improvements in Medicaid's (the insurance program for low-income people) preventive coverage are also on the way, and are especially important for women, since women account for about three-quarters of all adults in that program. 

For instance, this October, more pregnant women on Medicaid will gain access to comprehensive tobacco addiction cessation services for free, including counseling and both prescription and over-the-counter treatments.

For more details on health reform and preventive care for women, as well as many other issues, check out our Reform Matters Factsheets.

Health Reform and Reproductive Health: What Does Three Months Mean to You?

by Grace Lesser, Program Assistant,
National Women's Law Center

Health reform passed over three months ago. Can you believe it? Three months is a full trimester of a pregnancy, almost an entire semester of school, the difference between a city covered in snow and one teeming with humidity. And you may be wondering why you should still celebrate health reform. You may be unsure when you will even feel its effects. Well, I am here to tell you that if you care about your reproductive health, there are many reasons to look to health reform. 

Let's take the seven in 10 women of reproductive age who are sexually active and do not want to become pregnant. Through the expansion of Medicaid coverage for family planning, millions of women will gain access to family planning services and supplies that they never had before. Furthermore, prescription contraceptives may (and should) be included in the set of free preventive health services provided by all new health plans.

And when women do choose to become pregnant, thanks be to health reform that maternity and newborn care will now be considered "essential health benefits" in all new health plans sold to individuals and small groups. That's right, the basic maternity services that 85 percent of women need by the time they turn 44 are now actually considered essential—and will be covered by insurance. What’s more, women on Medicaid can count on their health plan to cover the costs of childbirth at freestanding birth centers.

Though it cannot be ignored that health reform places unnecessary burdens on individuals by treating abortion care as different from all other reproductive health services, the law does do a great deal to support and bolster women’s reproductive health. Check out our new factsheet to learn more—and remember, a lot can happen the span of three months, and there is also much to look forward to.

Health Reform: Benefiting Women in Small Businesses Right NOW

by Brigette Courtot, Policy Analyst, 
National Women's Law Center

So many good things are coming out of our new health reform law that it's tough to keep track of it all! In fact, the earliest benefits are now several months old, like the small business tax credit. The tax credit, which works as an incentive for small businesses to offer (or continue offering) health insurance to their workers, took effect immediately since the credit is available to small businesses for the current (2010) tax year.

It's a health reform benefit that is especially important for women, given that: a) the smallest businesses have the most trouble affording health insurance, and women-owned businesses are generally small in relation to male-owned businesses; and b) small businesses that don’t offer employee health coverage tend to have larger proportions of female workers. To learn more about this immediate health reform benefit and what it means for women, check out our fact sheet on the subject.

Know-it-all: What’s New with the Health Care Reform Law

by Thao Nguyen, Senior Outreach Manager, 
National Women's Law Center 

Today ends my know-it-all days. For the past few months, after the passage of the new health care reform law, friends and family members have come to me as a source of information about what the new health care reform law means to them. Sure, I didn’t have all the answers, but I had the answers at my fingertips (also known as popping into the office of a more knowledgeable colleague). However, www.HealthCare.gov ends my reign as a health care know-it-all in at least one area. Now everyone can find out what their options are for insurance coverage.

This new website is the first of its kind and puts you one click away from consolidated information on all available insurance options: private insurance, public insurance options for people with low-income, as well as the new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans.

But that's not the only thing that happens today. Thanks to our new health care reform law, Americans with a pre-existing condition, like my mom, can use www.HealthCare.gov to find out about the new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans that became available in many states. These temporary insurance plans are available to people who are uninsured due to a pre-existing condition, and they will provide some of the most vulnerable women and families the opportunity to obtain health coverage until 2014, when new health insurance rules take effect and the new insurance exchanges are up and running. In many states you can begin applying for coverage immediately. Some states are in the process of creating their own plans and they will be ready very shortly.

This is only the beginning. There are many more changes in store for us thanks to our new health care reform law. You can stay up-to-date on all the latest by checking out our Reform Matters project.

Health Reform Status Check: Our New Patient’s Bill of Rights

by Brigette Courtot, Policy Analyst, 
National Women's Law Center

The health reform law is three months old today. Its benefits are already apparent, from the health insurance tax credit for small businesses that is available this (2010) tax year to the $250 rebate checks for Medicare enrollees experiencing a coverage gap due to the prescription drug “donut hole.” And yesterday, three federal agencies issued regulations to implement several more provisions of the law which together comprise a new “Patient’s Bill of Rights” that will protect women across the country from some of the nastiest insurance company practices:

• All health plans issued or renewed after September of this year will be prohibited from using lifetime limits (i.e. no more maximum caps on what they’ll spend on your health benefits over the course of your lifetime). This is especially important for women with high health care expenses, such as those with disabilities, chronic conditions, or serious illnesses. Annual limits on coverage will also be restricted (i.e. maximum annual caps cannot be lower than $750,000 per year) for most plans starting in September, and then ultimately prohibited by 2014.
• All plans issued or renewed after September will also be banned from rescinding or taking away health insurance because of an unintentional mistake made on an application.
• New plans issued after September must guarantee that women can access obstetric and gynecologic care directly, without any prior approval or a referral, and that enrollees can choose their own primary care doctor or pediatrician from the plan’s network. This protection ensures that women get the care they need, when they need it, and from a provider of their choice.
• Most health plans issued or renewed after September are barred from rejecting applications or excluding coverage for children based on their pre-existing conditions, providing relief and peace-of-mind to mothers and other caregivers of children with disabilities, chronic conditions, or serious illnesses.

Reproductive Justice Prevails in Kentucky. Yes, I said Kentucky.

by Jill Morrison, Senior Counsel,
National Women's Law Center

I am happy to report that the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the state cannot use its criminal endangerment statute to prosecute women for using drugs while pregnant. We submitted a brief in support of Ms. Ina Cochran, who was charged with wanton endangerment because her newborn tested positive for cocaine exposure. Prosecutors across the nation have attempted to criminalize women’s acts during their pregnancies. 

The trial court dismissed the indictment against Ms. Cochran, but the Attorney General’s office successfully appealed, allowing the prosecution to proceed. Ms. Cochran then appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court and it ruled that the trial court correctly dismissed the indictment. We wholeheartedly agree with the Court's rationale: while drug addiction during pregnancy is a serious problem, it should be handled within the health care system, and not the criminal justice system.