Under the Affordable Care Act, Essential Birth Control and Other Women’s Preventive Health Care Benefits go Into Effect August 1

San Francisco, CA – This week, Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific (PPSP) celebrates an important milestone for women’s preventive health under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Specifically, the essential preventive health care benefits that go into effect on August 1 will make birth control available at no cost to insured women, as well as other essential preventive care such as cancer screenings, well-woman exams, and screenings for diabetes and high blood pressure. 

“As a leading women’s health care provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood knows firsthand how important the birth control benefit is for women and families, not just for their health but also for their pocketbooks,” said Heather Saunders Estes, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific.  “At Planned Parenthood, we see the need for affordable health care every day.  The preventive benefits that begin rolling out on August 1 will help ease the struggle of deciding whether to pay for birth control or pay for textbooks, groceries, or gas for the car,” Estes continued.

Women will see this benefit at varying times depending on their health insurance plans.  For example, the birth control benefit that goes into effect on Wednesday impacts new private insurance plans and will take effect for other plans over the coming months.

“President Obama is moving our country forward by giving women control over their health care,” Herb K. Schultz, Regional Director the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said.  “This law puts women and their doctors, not insurance companies or the government, in charge of health care decisions.  Approximately 47 million women will now have guaranteed access to additional preventive services without cost-sharing for policies renewing on or after August 1, 2012, including more than 5 million in California.”

"This change in the law is a significant benefit of the Affordable Care Act," said Commissioner Dave Jones.  "It provides a major cost savings for millions of women and greater access to essential preventive health care services.  In talking with women about the importance of the new law, I've heard from some who have had to skip filling their prescriptions because they could not afford the co-pay.   This new benefit makes a tangible difference in the lives of women," continued Jones.

The Affordable Care Act is one of the greatest advances in women’s health in a generation.  Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific celebrates the new benefits afforded to the millions of women who will be positively impacted by ACA.