Women's Health and the Affordable Care Act: A Discussion with the Experts- Clinical & Research News - For and about the Physicians and Researchers of Brigham and Women's HospitalWomen's Health and the Affordable Care Act: A Discussion with the Experts- Clinical & Research News - For and about the Physicians and Researchers of Brigham and Women's Hospital

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Women's Health and the Affordable Care Act: A Discussion with the Experts


Last month, Paula Johnson, MD, MPH, hosted a discussion in the Bornstein Amphitheater about the Affordable Care Act and how it affects women.

With the Supreme Court's decision to largely uphold President Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA) in June, questions about the health care overhaul and its implementation abound, both inside and outside of the hospital setting.

On July 9, Paula Johnson, MD, MPH, chief of the BWH Division of Women's Health and executive director of the Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology, and the BWH Women's Health Policy & Advocacy Program hosted a discussion in the Bornstein Amphitheater about the Affordable Care Act and how it affects women.

"We are a truly fortunate state," said Johnson. "For six years, Massachusetts has had most of the benefits of national health care reform in place, but there are still gaps in coverage, affordability and access." Accessing care can be a particular challenge for women, Johnson said, because women on average have higher annual health care expenses than men, report more challenges affording care, and are disproportionally affected by chronic illness. "It is crucial for women to understand what services they are entitled to under the Affordable Care Act."

Also participating were women's health experts Christie Hager, JD, MPH, regional director for Region I of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Kate Bicego, consumer education and enrollment manager for Health Care for All. Hager and Bicego discussed how health care reform can improve the health and well-being of Massachusetts women and their families.

More than 70 people attended the event, including physicians, nurses, researchers, outreach workers, community program directors and health educators from BWH, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston Public Health Commission, Asian Breast Cancer Project, event sponsor YWCA Boston, and other agencies and organizations. The conference attracted a diverse group of attendees, with 45 percent self-identifying as minorities. The majority of attendees (58 percent) were 34 years old or younger.

In her presentation, Hager discussed the strong consumer protections available under the ACA. "Prior to national reform, it had been legal in most states for companies selling individual health policies to charge women more than men for the same coverage," she noted.

The New York Times brought light to this issue in March 2010. "The rationale was that women used the health care system more than men," wrote science reporter Denise Grady. "The differences in premiums, from 4 percent to 48 percent, according to a 2008 analysis by the [National Women's] Law Center, can add up to hundreds of dollars a year."

"Women's health is a major determinant of the health of communities and future generations," added Hager. "Under the Health Care Law, insurers will no longer be able to deny coverage to women because they're pregnant, because they gave birth by C-section, or because they are a breast cancer survivor or a victim of domestic violence."

Hager emphasized the importance of preventive services in sustaining and improving health across a woman's lifespan. These services include gestational diabetes screening, HPV testing, sexually-transmitted disease counseling, HIV screening and counseling, a full range of contraceptive methods and counseling, breastfeeding support and others. As of Aug. 1, all non-grandfathered plans, which are health plans that were created or changed significantly after March 23, 2010, must cover women's health preventive services at no out-of-pocket cost to women as part of the health care law.

"The Affordable Care Act invests a significant amount of money in prevention services in our communities for better public health outcomes," Hager said.

Kate Bicego, of Health Care for All - a non-profit health advocacy organization dedicated to making adequate and affordable health care accessible to everyone in the state - discussed health insurance options for women in Massachusetts. She broke down the eligibility guidelines and numbers for such programs as MassHealth and Commonwealth Care. She also provided real life examples of women and their insurance needs and options.

"Almost 100 percent of women and their families are covered in the state of Massachusetts," Bicego said. "But there are still gaps and barriers in coverage. Knowing your options is critical."

Edith Kenneally, of BWH Patient Financial Counseling Services, shared information about the financial resources available to BWH employees while managing their health care options.

The event was made possible by support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health Region 1 (New England) Office.

For more information about the health care law, visit healthcare.gov/law/resources/ma.html or www.brighamandwomens.org/womenspolicy.



From left: Therese Fitzgerald, director of the Women's Health Policy & Advocacy Program; Christie Hager, regional director for Region I of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Paula Johnson, chief of the BWH Division of Women’s Health and executive director of the Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology; Kate Bicego, consumer education and enrollment manager for Health Care for All; Edith Kenneally, of BWH Patient Financial Counseling Services; and Nyjah Wyche-Alexis, of YWCA Boston.