There’s not a lot we agree on in this country. And yet, there is one topic around which there is practically universal agreement: the right of women to access birth control. That’s right–99 percent of women in the U.S. who have been sexually active have used birth control. It’s used by women of every demographic, […]
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, granted healthcare coverage to more than 31 million Americans. Republicans have consistently tried to kill the ACA since its passage. The loss of the ACA would have devastating impacts on Americans’ health, especially women as the ACA bans sex discrimination in health insurance, mandates coverage for maternatiy and pregnancy care and requires coverage of birth control and mammograms without copays or deductibles.
This Again? House Votes to “Protect Life,” Kill Women
In another sure sign that Congress has neither a plan for, nor the intention of, addressing America’s massive jobs crisis, the U.S. House of Representatives has voted 248-173 to approve HR 358–or what we like to call the “Protect Life by Letting Women Die Act.” That’s right, in the middle of the highest unemployment in decades, […]
Womanslaughter: Cuts in Breast Cancer Screening Hurt Women
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and also happens to be the month, in 1986, that I first underwent surgery for my own breast cancer. I do a lot of thinking as the days grow shorter and my sense-memories of being diagnosed, having surgery, radiation and chemo grow stronger. I was younger than 50 when […]
#HERvotes Blog Carnival Takes on Health Care
Welcome to the third #HERvotes Blog Carnival! This time, the focus is on women and health care. The blog posts below contain lots of information about the new benefits from the Affordable Care Act, and offer original insights on what’s at stake for women–especially in the 2012 election. You’ll also find personal stories and analysis […]
It’s in the Law: Breaking Down What’s In It For You in the Affordable Care Act
Greater protections against insurance company abuses: NO MORE RESCISSIONS: Insurance companies are prohibited from dropping your coverage if you become sick. NO MORE LIFETIME LIMITS: Insurance companies are prohibited from limiting the amount of money they will pay for your benefits over your lifetime. NO MORE ANNUAL CAPS: Insurance companies are prohibited from limiting the […]
“Care,” the New Four-Letter Word
Thank you Affordable Care Act. In the current political climate it is rare to hear praise for this important legislation that the last Congress fought so hard to pass. Healthcare Reform has become a dirty term and the efforts to undo it are an unfortunate distraction from the problems our country truly need fixed. I […]
Massachusetts’ Health Reform: A Model for Serving Women’s Needs
When it comes to women’s health, Massachusetts shows us reform is something to celebrate—and lessons from Massachusetts can help ensure that national health reform meets women’s needs. Massachusetts passed its groundbreaking health care reform legislation in 2006, and national health-care reform has been largely based on the Massachusetts model. Overall, the numbers already show that […]
Vote Like Your Life Depends on It (Because It Does)
This Friday marks the 91st anniversary of women’s suffrage in the U.S. Yes, many of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers lived in a time when they weren’t allowed to vote. And for African Americans, the right to vote didn’t truly come into full effect until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But now, armed with that […]
Women Must Vote in 2012
By Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation and Publisher of Ms. Magazine This blog is part of the #HERvotes blog carnival. The Feminist Majority Foundation and Ms. magazine are proud to join a number of organizations representing millions of American women in an effort to mobilize women voters in 2012 around preserving women’s […]
Rep. Gwen Moore Weighs in on Birth Control Victory
Since the 1960s, when the birth control pill was approved by the FDA, a woman’s ability to access it has been uncertain and unstable. At one point, unmarried women couldn’t get it. Still today, pharmacists can refuse to fill a woman’s prescription. And earlier this year, Republicans in Congress tried to defund Planned Parenthood, which […]