The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will be particularly beneficial for women and families, according to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.
In a recent blog post, she noted that research indicates the number of young adults without coverage has declined significantly since more of them can now remain covered on their parents' policies. While young women may benefit from that, families also benefit from other provisions of the law, according to Sebelius.
The elimination of lifetime limits, free preventive services offered through Medicare and the requirement that insurers cover those with pre-existing conditions should help many women stay covered, Sebelius wrote. Another important factor might be the way the PPACA supports community health centers, which often provide vital care for families. Additionally, one provision eliminates copays for recommended preventive services.
This should help both women with employee benefit coverage and those with personal insurance policies, she indicated. The law may also reduce any pricing discrepancies between women and men, and the larger number of covered individuals should allow price reduction.
