Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota today hailed the passage of the important Women's Health Amendment, offered by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), to the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." The amendment will guarantee health insurance coverage for women's basic preventive care and screenings at no cost to the patient.
"Ninety five percent of the care Planned Parenthood provides is primary and preventive, and the doctors and nurses who deliver that care witness on a daily basis the real need to ensure that women have access to critical tests, screenings, and regular check-ups. That's because preventive health care is life-saving health care," said PPMNS President and CEO Sarah Stoesz.
"Women of childbearing age spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men, in part because of reproductive health-related needs. It is time that women's health is made a priority, and providing affordable access to essential care is key. We applaud Senator Mikulski and her colleagues for working to make sure that women are better off under health care reform," Stoesz said.
"Last year PPMNS provided more than 20,000 breast cancer screenings and over 17,000 cervical cancer screenings to women and families in need of health care. We see the need for meaningful health care reform each day in our 27 clinic throughout the region. On behalf of the more than 60,000 women and familes we serve each year, PPMNS would like to thank Senator Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Franken (D-MN), Senator Conrad(D-ND), Senator Dorgan (D-ND) and Senator Johnson (D-SD) for supporting preventative health care for women in our region and across the country," said Stoesz.
The Women's Health Amendment would require health plans to cover comprehensive preventive care and screenings that address women's unique health care needs without cost sharing. Currently, coverage of comprehensive preventive health care is not guaranteed at zero cost sharing under the bill - for example, regular well-women visits, breast exams, and contraceptive services are not required to be covered at zero cost-sharing.
This amendment would require that, in addition to the care and screenings specified in the recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the women's preventive care outlined by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-supported guidance would also be covered at no cost to patients. The Women's Health Amendment is critical to guaranteeing that access to women's comprehensive preventive health care is increased under the health care reform bill.
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