Reference no: EM133893776

Question

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010 and helps to expand healthcare and insurance coverage to multiple populations. One of the populations that received expanded healthcare coverage through the passage of the ACA was women. The ACA helped to lower the costs of healthcare, increase the number of women who can obtain health insurance, and improve the quality of healthcare provided to women (Office on Women's Health, 2020). The ACA also helped to improve preventative healthcare for women including annual mammograms and well-woman visits, birth control, and breastfeeding support (Office on Women's Health, 2020). This act helps to ensure that women are not charged more nor denied health insurance because of their gender or any gender-specific preexisting conditions (Office on Women's Health, 2020). The need to improve women's health rights was first identified during the 1960s with the civil rights and women's rights movements (Office of Research on Women's Health, n.d.). It wasn't until 1983 when the Public Health Service Task Force on Women's Health Issues was established and advocated for women to be included on research and clinical trials, so that more was understood regarding health conditions that specifically affect women (Office of Research on Women's Health, n.d.). As the years continued on, more resources and attention were devoted to women's health and expanding the knowledge on conditions affecting women, all of which allowed for better care to be provided. Today, the ACA is successful in expanding healthcare resources and coverage to women because of all the research dedicated to women's health conditions over the years. The ACA continues to build upon the work and research previously conducted in order to give women the best care possible.