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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the greatest advance for women’s health in a generation. In the more than six years since its passage, it has made more affordable, comprehensive health insurance coverage available to millions of consumers. About 20 million people have gained health coverage under the law, and roughly 12.7 million people signed up for marketplace plans during the third open enrollment period.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the greatest advance for women’s health in a generation. Improving access to health care has long been a priority for women for a number of reasons, including the fact that women have more contact with the health care system over their lifetimes than do men; their health care needs are greater, especially during their reproductive years; and many women coordinate health care for spouses, children, aging parents and other loved ones. The ACA has already improved women’s access to health insurance coverage, making access to quality, affordable health care more of a reality for women and their families.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the greatest advance for women’s health in a generation, and includes benefits that are critically important for pregnant women and new parents. Thanks to the ACA, most plans now ensure coverage for the health services expecting and new parents need. The law guarantees coverage for maternity services and provides support for eligible new parents once their child is born.

This report looks at the tools that were available during the third open enrollment period to consumers who were window shopping on HealthCare.gov, which is used in 38 states, and on the 13 state-based marketplace websites. It was conducted in January and supplemented by six focus groups in five states with consumers who had shopped on marketplace websites. It builds on a 2015 analysis of the features available on marketplace websites during the second open enrollment period.

This report finds that the country’s maternity care system is missing opportunities to provide better care and use resources more wisely by routinely intervening in labor and delivery in ways that interfere with, instead of promoting, supporting and protecting, innate biological processes that result in healthier outcomes for women and newborns.

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) is intended to accelerate the transition to a health care system that rewards quality and value, rather than volume, and help ensure that patients experience better care and improved health outcomes.

A truly patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is grounded in comprehensive and well-coordinated primary care that treats the whole person and is consistent with each patient’s unique needs and preferences.

When first measured in 1965, the national U.S. cesarean birth rate was 4.5%.1 Since then, large groups of healthy, low-risk American women who have received care that supported their bodies' innate capacity for giving birth have achieved 4% to 6% cesarean birth rates and good overall birth outcomes.

The preliminary national cesarean rate for 2014 is 32.2 percent of all births. This is a slight drop from the national peak of 32.9 percent in 2009.

Be informed. Know your rights. Protect yourself. Protect your baby.

If designed and implemented correctly, Alternative Payment Models (APMs) have the potential to provide comprehensive, coordinated, patient- and family-centered care while driving down costs.

The Campaign for Better Care (CBC) (led by the National Partnership for Women & Families) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) proposed rule.

Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the cost of health insurance placed a particular burden on lower-income women who needed health care services but often struggled to pay insurance premiums and the out-of-pocket costs of care.

In 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will make it easier for millions of women to find and enroll in a more affordable health plan that best meets their needs and the needs of their families.

Health information technology (health IT) is a foundational component of a more patient-centered, effective and efficient health care system where women and their health care providers have access to the information they need anytime, anywhere.

Starting in 2014, most people will be required to have health insurance, either through employer-provided insurance, a federal program like Medicare or Medicaid, or individually purchased coverage.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the greatest advance for women’s health in a generation. Improving health care has long been a priority for women, reflecting their experiences as patients, mothers, and caregivers.

The high cost of health care places a particular burden on lower-income women who need health services but often struggle to pay premiums and out-of-pocket costs. The problem has been exacerbated because many insurers charge women higher rates simply because of their gender, thereby putting health coverage out of reach—especially for many lower-income women.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to improve conditions for pregnant women and new parents by providing the services they need to have healthy pregnancies and provide their children with a good start in life.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | Doula care, which includes non-clinical emotional, physical and informational support before, during and after birth, is a proven key strategy to improve maternal and infant health.