The Federal Health Care Law Now Allows Ohio Women to Take Control of Their Health
Columbus, Ohio - In a momentous step forward, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that, thanks to the federal health care law, beginning today (August 1, 2012), 47 million women nationwide will have access to free prevention-related health care services without paying out of their own pocket. This means that, beginning today, 1,852,561 women in Ohio can take greater control over their health by having access to life-saving preventive care free of charge.
For the first time ever, Ohio women will be granted access to potentially life-saving tests and services, without having to worry about costs. No longer will Ohio women be at the mercy of their insurance company, but will instead be able to take control of their well-being and make decisions to keep them healthy, catch possibly serious conditions at an earlier stage and protect themselves and their families from colossal medical bills.
"Women in Ohio shouldn't have to make healthcare decisions because of worries about cost," said Brian Rothenberg. "Thanks to the federal health care law, women now have access to important preventive care measures that will go a long way towards keeping our families healthy. When we talk about access to care, this is exactly what we mean."
While certain preventive care services were already mandated by the Affordable Care Act, the eight new preventative services required by the law include: well-woman visits, gestational diabetes screening that helps protect pregnant women from one of the most serious pregnancy-related diseases, domestic and interpersonal violence screening and counseling, FDA-approved contraceptive methods, and contraceptive education and counseling, breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling, HPV DNA testing for women 30 or older, sexually transmitted infections counseling for sexually-active women, and finally HIV screening and counseling for sexually-active women.
Thanks to the federal health care law, stable, affordable health care is becoming a reality for thousands of women and their families across Ohio and for millions of Americans nationwide.
Ohioans can learn more about the health care services that they may be eligible for at no extra charge under the Affordable Care Act, by going to http://www.healthcare.gov/prevention
For information about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report on the number of adult and adolescent women in Ohio eligible for the preventive services at no charge after Aug. 1, 2012, see: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2012/womensPreventiveServicesACA/ib.shtml
