Bera Caps Off Women's Health Week Introducing Bill Calling for Women's Wellness Public Awareness Campaign

Press Release

Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. introduced the Women's Preventive Health Awareness Campaign (H.R. 2355) today, capping off National Women's Health Week. The bill calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to launch a national public outreach campaign to raise awareness about the importance of women's wellness visits.

When women meet with their doctors for annual well-woman visits, it can prevent illness, improve health, and lower healthcare costs. But, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in March of 2014, more than 3 years after a new measure in the Affordable Care Act made free preventive services available to women, less than half the population, or 43 percent, reported that they were aware of this new benefit.

"I know, as a physician myself, that encouraging women to see their doctors regularly helps keep our wives, mothers, and daughters healthy," said Bera. "Annual wellness visits can help doctors prevent illnesses or diagnose them early when they can be treated. That's not only good medicine-- it can save lives and cut costs."

Bera first introduced a similar measure in 2013. In addition to the education campaign included in that version, this new bill also includes a number of clarifications on how providers and insurers implement the ACA Women's Preventive Services Guidelines to ensure that women get the care they need. For example, it mandates that the entirety of the well-woman visit be covered without cost sharing-- there can't be additional facility fees, or office visit fees.

Source