WAWH Supporter E-Update BREAKING NEWS: Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act
Greetings!
Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health Statement on Supreme Court Decision to Uphold the Affordable Care Act Madison- In response today's decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the Affordable Care Act, the Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health Executive Director, Sara Finger, released the following statement: "The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including the individual mandate is a tremendous win for women and their families, including the 50 million Americans, and over 500,000 Wisconsinites, 180,000 Wisconsin women, currently without insurance. The Supreme Court ruled, now it is up to the states, including Wisconsin, to make health care, including comprehensive women's health care, available and affordable to keep women and families healthy.  Moving forward with implementation of the ACA, insurance will cover more of what we need, when we need it, making women healthier and making it easier to take care of ourselves and our families. We'll have peace of mind that our children, teens and young adults will be safe, healthier and covered. Already, parents of 94,700 Wisconsin children with pre-existing conditions, like asthma or diabetes, have peace of mind knowing their child won't ever be denied coverage. We'll be healthier. All new insurance plans must make basic women's health services, like [mammograms, pap smears, cancer screenings] available with no co-pay, services that many women put off or just don't get because of the high cost. Already, 413,000 Wisconsin women gained access to basic women's health services with no co-pay. Starting August 1st, we can celebrate the addition of birth control coverage to this list of services that must be covered without co-pays.  By covering services like birth control, the new law saves families $26 a month on average - the cost of a trip to the grocery store - helping everyone in these tough economic times. We won't have to worry that we'll get kicked out of our insurance plan because we get sick. The law already prevents insurers from cancelling your policy if you develop breast cancer or other serious illnesses. We won't experience discrimination because we have a pre-existing condition. Already under the new law, 17 million children can no longer be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition, including 94,700 in Wisconsin, and starting in 2014 neither will adults.  And women will no longer have to pay more than men for the same insurance plan. This decision is a critical victory for Wisconsin women and their families.  We are already feeling the positive impact of reforms on our health and economic security, and look forward to full implementation in Wisconsin." To learn more about what's at stake for Wisconsin women and girls with the Supreme Court decision, visit our Raising Wisconsin Women's Voices site at www.raisingwiwomensvoices.org or our blog atrwwv.wordpress.com.