How the Affordable Care Act Changes Women's Health

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been both praised and criticized since it was first introduced into Congress and signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. The act includes many different parts including the controversial Individual Mandate that was recently held up by the Supreme Court earlier this summer. Another controversial part of the Affordable Care Act has been the changes the act has on women's health which some have seen as a attack on religious freedoms because of the contraceptive mandate on health insurance plans. Regardless of whether you support or oppose the Affordable Care Act it is our current law and the law includes various parts that are becoming effective as we speak. Today, on August 1, 2012 the law expands coverage for women's preventative care and well-being services under health insurance plans. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, called August 1 "a new day for women's health."
 

Below I have outlined the new women's health services covered under this installment of the healthcare law. Under the new rules effective today, most insurers will have to offer the services listed below without any copay. How do you feel about these new services? 

• Well-woman visits.
• Gestational diabetes screenings that help protect the mother and her child from one of the most serious pregnancy-related diseases.
• Domestic and interpersonal violence screening and counseling.
• FDA-approved contraceptive products, which have proven health benefits like a reduced risk of cancer and protecting against osteoporosis.
• Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling.
• HPV DNA testing, for women 30 or older.
• Sexually transmitted infections counseling.
• HIV screening and counseling.