The State of Women’s Health Video Townhall

For too long, we had a health insurance market that worked much better for big insurance companies than it did for average Americans. And it especially didn’t work so well for women. Women often find a system that’s stacked against them: They are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured.  They can pay up to 50 percent more than men for the exact same coverage. They need health services—like maternity care—that health plans often don’t even cover.

But as President Obama said in his State of the Union Address, “I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny you coverage, or charge women differently from men.”

With the passage of the health care law, we are beginning to see historic changes in our health system – especially for women.

Being a woman will no longer be considered a pre-existing condition. The law is ending discrimination against pre-existing conditions for everyone, and has already made it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against children with a pre-existing condition. 

Women can also get access to preventive care without cost-sharing, including well-women visits, pap smears, mammograms, birth control, and much more.

As Secretary Sebelius has said, the health care reform law represents the most important and comprehensive women’s health law in decades. And we’re already seeing its impact on the lives of American women.

We want to talk about the law’s impact on you. This Friday, January 27^th, at 12:00pm EST we’re teaming up with iVillage.com for a live video townhall where HHS Secretary Sebelius will talk about the law and how it helps American women get a fair shot at better care and lower costs.  And she’ll take your questions about what the health care law means for you.

You might be wondering:

• How does the law protect me?
• Will the law save me money?
• What does the law mean for me, if I already have insurance?
• What are the benefits that are available to me now, and what is coming in future years?

You can submit your questions in advance here, or submit questions live via Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #HHSchat. Watch the event live on Friday, January 27^th, at 12:00pm at www.healthcare.gov/live.

Note: This post has been updated to include archived video of the iVillage Video Townhall on Women's Health.