Women’s Health Advocacy

Family physicians provide comprehensive, continuing care to women throughout their lives, including pre- and postnatal care and preventive and wellness care such as mammograms, screenings for cervical cancer, contraceptive advice, and other diagnostic tests. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, new health insurance policies are required to cover a range of women’s preventive health care services without cost sharing, including:

• annual well-woman visits,
• screening for gestational diabetes,
• human papillomavirus testing,
• counseling for sexually transmitted infections,
• counseling and screening for human immune-deficiency virus,
• contraceptive methods and counseling,
• breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling, and
• screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence.

The AAFP advocates for maintaining the ACA, which ensures that women continue to receive vital preventive and wellness services in trusted primary care settings. Other programs, such as Medicaid and Title X family planning program, provide access to a range of reproductive health services regardless of income; 48 percent of babies are covered under Medicaid. This program is an important insurance program for maternal health coverage in some states, and the Academy supports it.

Why We Fight

The AAFP supports legal, clinically indicated care for all women without undue legislative or regulatory interference and advocates for policies that protect this access and preserve the physician-payment relationship. Family physicians are trained to provide obstetric and gynecological care, and the Academy supports training, appropriate reimbursement, system reforms, and coverage that meets the unique health needs of all women.