Supreme Court Decision to Uphold the Affordable Care Act Will Benefit Millions in California and the Nation

For Immediate Release

On August 1, Women Will Have Access to
Birth Control Without A Co-Pay

San Francisco, CA — The U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act will have a profound and concrete impact on millions of people lives, particularly women.  The Affordable Care Act is the greatest advance in women’s health in a generation.  The law will provide access to birth control and cancer screenings without co-pays, guaranteed direct access to OB/GYN providers without referrals, and an end to discriminatory practices against women, such as charging women higher premiums and denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

“At Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific, we know how important health care reform is for women and families, because we provide affordable health care every day,” said Heather Estes, President and CEO.  “Women often struggle to balance paying for birth control and lifesaving health services with paying bills and buying groceries or gas for the car.  The Affordable Care Act will make those decisions easier for women across the country,” Estes continued.

“Today’s ruling ensures that affordable, quality health care will be available to millions of women who had no coverage or inadequate coverage before.  Come August 1, 2012, women will have guaranteed access to birth control without a co-pay saving money and giving women control over the size and spacing of their families,” Estes said.

The ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act will ensure some key benefits:

·         More than 45 million women have already received coverage for preventive health screenings at no cost since August 2010 thanks to the Affordable Care Act – including mammograms and Pap tests – and millions more will be able to get free screenings in the coming years.

·         Women will have access to birth control without a co-pay, saving an average $600 per year.

·         3.1 million young adults will be able to stay on their parents’ insurance because of the Affordable Care Act.

For California, the ruling means that:

·         Nearly five million Californians will gain coverage through the ACA in 2012, including 1,485,743 women who will be eligible for MediCal and 928,590 women who will be eligible for tax credits to purchase coverage through the health insurance exchange.

·         Over 350,000 young adults will continue to be insured through their parent’s coverage.

·         Over 10,000 Californians who were denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions will continue to have coverage;

·         Over 315,000 seniors who received help in affording their prescription drugs

·         Over 400,000 low-income Californians who are not currently eligible for Medi-Cal will have coverage through expanded Medi-Cal in 2014.