Eight Years and Nearly 10 Million More Women Insured: Planned Parenthood Celebrates the Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

Washington, DC -- Today marks the eight-year anniversary of when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law. The ACA has been the greatest health advancement for women in a generation.  Despite the ACA’s clear public health benefits, extreme congressional leaders spent the majority of 2017 attempting to repeal the ACA, and the Trump-Pence administration continues to dismantle ACA protections that so many people have come to rely on. Due to the swell of grassroots opposition, efforts to repeal the ACA completely have so far repeatedly failed. Support for the ACA is at an all-time high, and in key elections like the Virginia gubernatorial race, protecting the ACA was the top issue among voters.

The ACA has been monumental in the fight for gender equity and access to women’s health care. Thanks to the ACA:

• 75 percent of privately insured women ages 18-44 now have access to no-copay  birth control.

• Being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition and exploited by insurance companies for profit;

• Women, particularly, women of color, have significantly greater access to care, a step forward in leveling the playing field for groups that have faced years of discriminatory policies that have led to poor health outcomes; and

• Most insurance plans have to cover baseline care, such as maternity coverage, mental health care, and prescription drug coverage.

Statement from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

The ACA has been revolutionary for women’s health and rights. It’s no surprise that support for the law is at an all-time high. By expanding insurance and Medicaid coverage,, increasing access to health benefits, and prohibiting discriminatory practices, the ACA has been a game-changer for historically underserved communities like women of color, people with low incomes, and young people. As a health care provider, we’ve seen firsthand how having access to affordable health care and the provider of their choice empowers people to keep themselves and their families healthy.”

“When anti-women’s health members of Congress and the Trump-Pence administration committed to undermining the ACA, Americans showed up with unprecedented force to push back. Regardless of how anti-women ideologues try to tear it apart, whether by repealing the individual mandate or destabilizing the market, the ACA remains the law, and Americans will never stop fighting for their health care.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood affiliates serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.