Health care overhaul benefits women

The health care overhaul will benefit 30 million American women, according to a new report.

The Commonwealth Fund analysis indicates the law will stabilize and reverse women's health costs by subsidizing health insurance for 15 million to 17 million women who are uninsured. Researchers also estimate an additional 14.5 million under-insured women will get a boost in their coverage.

Women generally have higher health care costs than men, according to analysts, and may face being dropped from their plan if they develop diseases such as breast cancer.

Most independent insurance plans currently do not cover pregnancy. The law will require new plans to cover maternity and newborn care.

"Insurance carriers are required to cover recommended preventive services many of which benefit women -- mammograms, cancer screenings, genetic counseling for the breast cancer gene," according to Sara Collins, Vice President of Affordable Health Insurance Program at the Commonwealth Fund. "Insurers are now required to cover those services with no cost-sharing - so that benefit actually goes into effect right away this year."

The insurance expansion will go take full effect in 2014. However, some changes are immediate.

The report finds women living in states with higher than average rates of women without health insurance stand to gain the most from the new law. New Mexico and Texas reported 29-percent of women were without coverage in 2008.

For more information: http://www.commonwealthfund.org.