It’s a Big F**king Deal: Free Preventive Care for 47 Million Women Kicks in Today [View all]

[babylonsister]

It’s a Big F**king Deal: Free Preventive Care for 47 Million Women Kicks in Today

By: Sarah Jones
August 1st, 2012



Today is the start of free preventive care for women courtesy of President Obama and the Democrats in Congress. It includes among other things free preventive care for moms and babies. Naturally, Republicans tried to block this portion of the Affordable Care Act from kicking in today because healthy women, moms and babies are not a conservative priority.

This portion of the Affordable Care Act, which grants preventive health care services without co-pays or additional out-of-pocket costs, impacts 47 million women. National Organization for Women President Terry O’Neill said, “No longer will women be compelled to forego or delay needed preventive care due to economic hard times.”

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NOW notes:

These guidelines also require insurers to cover mammograms, pap tests and other critical preventive services. Breast and cervical cancer are leading causes of death among women, and early detection is key. According to the National Cancer Institute, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and when it is detected early, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent. That’s why it’s so important that the Affordable Care Act gives women access to an annual health exam without any co-pays.

Other preventive services include screening for gestational diabetes; domestic violence screening and counseling; breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling; HPV testing; screening for sexually transmitted infections and counseling for sexually-active women; and HIV screening and counseling. And beginning in 2014, women can no longer be charged more than men for the same health plans and can no longer be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

The ACA also covers such pro-life preventive care as maternity and well-baby care. What do Republicans have against babies and pregnant women?

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http://www.politicususa.com/celebrates-todays-aca-milestone-womens-health.html