Affordable Care Act improves women's health

The 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act, also known as healthcare reform, is the most important advance in women's health policy since 1965. The law increases the number of American women who can get health insurance, lowers the costs of health care for many women, and improves the quality of the health care women receive.

The Affordable Care Act also improves preventive care for women – providing for evidence-based preventive services at no cost – including annual mammograms and well-woman visits, birth control, and breastfeeding support.

Under the Affordable Care Act, women cannot be charged more simply because they are women, nor can they be denied health insurance coverage because of a preexisting women's health condition, such as breast cancer, pregnancy, or depression. And there are no more annual or lifetime dollar limits on coverage.