YWCA USA is a partner in HERvotes, a coalition of leading women’s organizations focused on mobilizing women voters in 2012 around preserving women’s Health and Economic rights (HERrights.) This post is part of the #HERvotes blog carnival.

Welcome to the #HERVotes Blog Carnival! This time, the focus is on women and health care. The blog posts below from YWCA USA and other HERvotes coalition members share details about the new benefits from the health care reform law, while also offering original insights on what’s at stake for women and health care. You’ll also find personal stories and analysis delving into the health care services we’ve all gained–and will gain–through the passage of the new health care reform law.

Some of the most impactful new health care services for mothers and families that have come about because of the new health care reform laws include:

• All new health care plans now must cover certain preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies without charging a deductible, co-pay, or coinsurance.
• Young adults are now allowed to stay on their parent’s health care plan until they turn 26 years old.
• Insurance companies are now prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential health care benefits, like hospital stays.
• Insurance companies now cannot deny health care coverage to children under the age of 19 due to a pre-existing condition.

Last but not least: Since many of these resources and stories will help women and families looking for information about health care coverage, please be sure to share the link to this blog carnival on Facebook and to follow our Twitter conversation at #HERvotes.

Enjoy reading the many thoughtful and eye-opening blogs below!

This blog is part of the #HERvotes blog carnival.

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YWCA USA’s  Post:

• The Affordable Care Act and Women
  by Desiree Hoffman, YWCA USA’s Director of Advocacy and Policy

 

Coalition Blog Posts:

• It’s In The Law: Breaking Down What’s In It For You In the New Health Care Law, Thao Nguyen, National Women’s Law Center
• Women Have Lives on the Line With Health Care Reform, Jessica Mason Pieklo, Care2.com
• She Who Has Health Has Hope — She Who Has Hope Has Everything, Christy Jones, American Association of University Women
• Forty Years of Influencing Women’s Health Around the Globe, Byllye Y. Avery,
• How Much Would You Pay to Have Your Colon Looked At?, Cindy Pearson, Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need; National Women’s Health Network
• What the Health Care Bill Means for Women, Jessica Stites, Ms. Magazine
• Health Care is a Right, Not a Privilege, Carol Rosenblatt, Coalition of Labor Union Women
• Women’s Health: It’s Essential!, Cindy Pearson, Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need; National Women’s Health Network
• Raising Our Voices for the Health Coverage Women Need!, Lois Uttley, Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need
• Vaccinating the Public Against Health Care Misinformation, Lisa Bennett, National Organization for Women
• In Massachusetts, Health reform is a Life Saver for Women, Amanda Dennis and Kelly Blanchard, Ibis Reproductive Health
• How Restrictions on Health Care Funding Affect Low Income Women’s Access to Care, Amanda Dennis and Ruth Manski
• Public Funding of Family Planning is Essential, Even Under Health Reform, Britt Wahlin and Amanda Dennis, Ibis Reproductive Health
• No Co-Pay for Birth Control? A Great First Step Towards Truly Universal Access, Kelly Blanchard, Ibis Reproductive Health
• Women’s Health, Worth Fighting For, by Avis Jones DeWeever, PhD, National Council for Negro Women
• A Bright Future Starts Now, Emily Alfano, National Council of Jewish Women
• New Health Care Law and Young People: What You Need to Know, Sarah Audelo, Amplify Your Voice
• The New Health Care Law and Me, Becky Mezzanotte, National Council of Women’s Organizations
• As a Young Woman, I Need Healthcare!, Kendra McCormick, National Council of Women’s Organizations
• Better Health Care for Millions of Women? The Right Wing is Outraged, Outraged!, Carol King, Ms. Magazine
• Catholic Death Panels Coming to a Hospital Near You, Carol King, Ms. Magazine
• U.S. Flunks Women’s Health, Michelle Chen, Ms. Magazine
• Birth Control Pills … or a Frappucino?, Leah Berkenwald, Ms. Magazine
• “Care,” The New Four-Letter Word, National Women’s Political Caucus
• What the Affordable Care Act Has Done for YOU Lately, Colleen Eliza, WIN Writing Group
• The ACA and Why Women Need to Vote in 2012, WIN Writing Group

 

Personal Stories from the HERvotes Coalition:

• Though My Son is Still Battling Cancer, We’ve Already Won a Victory, Tracy C. Heiman
• For Special Needs Children, the Affordable Care Act Is a Godsend, Magdalena Clark
• How My Under-26-Year-Old Son Is Helped by the Affordable Care Act Right Now, Tracy Muñoz
• As a Diabetic in Oklahoma, I No Longer Face Annual Limits, Jasmine
• Keep Moving Forward on Affordable Care Act: My Daughter’s Story, Lisa Doyle
• The Affordable Care Act Has Allowed Our Children to Pursue Their Dreams, Tonya Arroyo
• I Wish ACA Had Been Law When I Was a Student, Bernadette Segura
• Must-See Video: What Julie, Matt and Baby Violet Faced
• How the Affordable Care Act Has Helped My Family, Jose Ricardo Bondoc