Continuing our week long celebration of the 2nd anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, let’s look at a few of the things the the Affordable Care Act does for women’s health:

• The ACA ends lifetime limits on healthcare and bans annual limits beginning in 2014.  For those who are most sick, this means that their care won’t stop when they need it most.
• Women can no longer be charged 150 times more than men.  Before the ACA passed, Caesarean sections and domestic violence were considered pre-existing conditions and used to deny women healthcare.  Thanks to the ACA, that is no longer the case.
• Since passage, more than 20 million women have received preventative services without a co-pay.  The ACA has made it possible for women to access recommended services such as mammograms, pap smears, contraception, new baby care and well-child visits without any out of pocket expenses.
• Under the ACA, all new health plans will be required to offer essential benefits for women including maternity care, newborn care and prescription drug benefits.

In Virginia, we’ve seen the war on women’s health up close and personal.   The very same folks who brought you the outrageous legislation this session are behind attempts to fight the Affordable Care Act and its benefits for Virginia’s women.   We must protect women’s care.