WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) released the following statement today, which marks the beginning of new guaranteed preventive healthcare services for women under the Affordable Care Act. Previous to the new health care law, many health insurance plans did not cover basic women's preventive care. Others had unaffordable co-payments for important women's services. More than half of American women have delayed or forgone necessary care due to their costs.

"Beginning today, 47 million women across the country, including five million women in California, will now receive important preventive services without co-pay because of the new healthcare law," Rep. Eshoo said. "With these new provisions, women will no longer need to forgo preventive services to stay healthy, catch potentially life-threatening illnesses earlier, and protect against prohibitive medical costs."

The women's preventive services that will be covered with no co-pays under these provisions include services that are essential to helping women stay healthy, including:

• Domestic violence screening
• FDA-approved contraception
• Breastfeeding support and supplies
• Gestational diabetes screening
• HPV testing
• Sexually transmitted infection counseling
• HIV screening
• Well-woman visits

Additional information about the new women's preventive services can be found here.

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