Obamacare is a plus for women's health care - Macon Telegraph (blog)

What a difference a year makes.

This time last year, I was among the more than 2 million Georgians, including nearly a quarter of the adult women in this state, without health insurance.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act I'm now fully covered -- and my private insurance company can't drop me if I get sick.

The new law created a national pool for individuals with pre-existing conditions, so after a six month waiting period I was able to purchase health coverage from a private provider.

Because of this reform and others, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that as many as 17 million women will gain health coverage as a result of the Affordable Care Act. That's an achievement to celebrate. And it's an important benefit of Obamacare that's been overlooked in all the political shouting.

As National Women's Health Week comes to an end, I thought this would be the perfect time to reflect on the law's impact beyond my own health. This year, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, women are better equipped to make health care a top priority in our busy lives. The new health care law makes it possible for more women to obtain health coverage and ensures that when they do, the policy will provide free essential preventative services like mammograms and cervical cancer screenings.

No longer will private insurers be permitted to use a history of domestic or sexual violence as a reason to deny coverage to women. Health insurance for women is also now more affordable because insurance companies must end the unfair and discriminatory practice of charging women up to 150 percent more for health insurance than men.

As a health care provider and as a patient, I know firsthand how important the Affordable Care Act is for women and their families. Before the law, I was among the uninsurable. It's easy to stigmatize the uninsured -- to assume they are lazy or irresponsible. But I never expected to find myself without health insurance. The truth is, it can happen to anyone.

I have worked since I was 16-years-old and own my own business. As a family therapist, I provide health care to others every day. Yet, like so many others, I was denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. As a small business owner, I did not have access to a group policy. Unlike some states, Georgia has not created a high-risk pool or a pool for small business owners. This inaction makes it harder for individuals to take the risk of starting a business and stifles growth in the sector of the economy where most jobs are created.

Every day I was without health insurance, I knew that I might not be able to get the care I needed for a serious illness or injury, and that even if I could, my family would be financially devastated.

Had the Affordable Care Act not become law, closing my business and looking for a job with a company large enough to offer health benefits would have been my only option. I wanted to take responsibility for my health care by purchasing health insurance, and because of the Affordable Care Act, I did. Because this option was available, my business remains a contributor to our local economy.

Even though the Affordable Care Act is not yet fully implemented, hundreds of thousands of Georgians are already benefiting. More than 654,000 Georgia women are receiving preventive services like mammograms and flu shots without a co-payment. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to drop coverage when people get sick or deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.

The Affordable Care Act supports healthy moms and healthy babies by making sure all health insurance policies cover maternity care and newborn care. According to the National Women's Law Center, just 13 percent of health plans in the individual market currently include maternity benefits.

Because the new law prohibits lifetime caps for most benefits, more than 1.3 million Georgia women have health coverage without the burden of a lifetime limit. We are all awaiting the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act. If the new law is repealed or rolled back, millions of women will lose access to the care they need, and the future of women's health will again be decided by insurance companies.

If the Affordable Care Act remains in effect, the future for women's health is even brighter. Beginning this August, all new health plans must cover a broader range of services, including screening and counseling for domestic violence. In 2014, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage for any pre-existing condition.

More than ever before, women will have the opportunity to make our health care a priority. And that's a big difference for everyone in Georgia.

Amy Morton is a marriage and family therapist and small business owner in Macon.

20 May, 2012