Study shows huge numbers of women will benefit from health care reform law

Thirty million women will benefit from the new health reform law over the next decade, either through new or strengthened insurance coverage, according to the Commonwealth Fund study Realizing Health Reform's Potential: Women and the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

From the Common Wealth Fund website:

This issue brief analyzes how, over the next decade, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is likely to stabilize and reverse women's growing exposure to health care costs. Up to 15 million women who now are uninsured could gain subsidized coverage under the law. In addition, 14.5 million insured women will benefit from provisions that improve coverage or reduce premiums. Women who have coverage through the individual insurance market and are charged higher premiums than men, who have been unable to secure coverage for the cost of pregnancy, or who have a preexisting health condition excluded from their benefits will ultimately find themselves on a level playing field with men, enjoying a full range of comprehensive benefits.

Download the PDF of the full issue brief here.