Seven Organizations Promoting Women’s Health Launch a New Campaign on Preventive Services for Women

WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, a partnership of organizations that promote women’s health announced the launch of a new campaign called Care Women Deserve, which aims to educate people about the vital preventive services available to women with no out-of-pocket costs.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Black Women’s Health Imperative, March of Dimes, National Women’s Law Center, Power to Decide, the campaign to prevent unplanned pregnancy, UnidosUS, and the United State of Women have come together to inform people that the Affordable Care Act requires insurance plans to provide coverage for recommended preventive services without copay, coinsurance or deductible that are essential to women’s overall health. Many women are not aware of these benefits or believe they have been rolled back.

“The women’s preventive services guidelines are a set of science and evidence based services that improve the well-being of women across the country,” said American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists President, Haywood L. Brown, M.D. “These guidelines help providers determine which screenings and other preventive health services they should routinely offer, so women can get the care they need and deserve.”

“Under the Affordable Care Act, women gained access to a host of important preventive health services without having to pay out of pocket,” stated March of Dimes President Stacey D. Stewart. “We want all women to understand these benefits, so they can be as healthy as possible at every stage of life.”

“Preventive care helps women stay healthy and improves overall well-being,” said Power to Decide CEO Ginny Ehrlich. “Without access to recommended preventive care, including contraceptive care, women can experience health-related barriers that can negatively impact their lives, as well as the lives of their family.”

The following recommended preventive services are available to most women across the United States at no cost, if they are insured:

  • Well-woman visits
  • Contraception, counseling and follow-up care
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) counseling
  • Cervical cancer screening
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) screening
  • Breast cancer screening
  • Interpersonal and domestic violence screening
  • Gestational diabetes screening
  • Breastfeeding services and supplies

The Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines are supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and based on a rigorous review of evidence conducted by a committee of women’s health experts. After reviewing the entire body of research on women’s preventive care, the committee agreed on a set of services that women should receive across their lifespan. This list of services reflects that process and the evidence-based consensus of a range of women’s health experts.

The Care Women Deserve campaign has a number of resources for the public to use, including to raise awareness of the Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines. Supporters can use the following hashtags: #CareWomenDeserve and #GetTheCare

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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, ACOG strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. www.acog.org
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