HOUSTON – It is estimated that 1 in 5 women do not have health insurance. When balancing work and family, health is often on the back burner for many women.
Baylor College of Medicine Dr. Aanand Naik explained how health care reform will offer more access to preventative care without premiums or co-payments.
"Woman visits, access to birth control, those sorts of things will become more available, access to immunizations and the cost for those should be lower," said Dr. Naik said.
Also on the list of expanded services are mammograms, colonoscopies, even maternity and newborn care, according to UTHealth School of Public Health Professor Dr. Charles Begley.
"Many private health insurance plans, particularly those that are offered in the individual health insurance market and in small group market, currently do not provide that coverage," explained Dr. Begley.
Perhaps more significant is insurers will no longer be allowed to charge women higher rates or premiums than they charge men.
"There will be no difference," said Dr. Begley added. "And then finally, women, all people, males and females will not be charged more for pre-existing conditions."
Open enrollment for Affordable Health Care begins on October 1 and require all Americans to have health insurance by the new year.