267100 Delivering the promise of health reform to women: An assessment of state progress in developing woman-friendly state health exchanges

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 12:50 PM - 1:10 PM

Lois J. Uttley, MPP , Community Catalyst, Raising Women's Voices, New York, NY
State health insurance exchanges are supposed to offer quality, affordable health coverage to individuals and small businesses beginning in 2014. While not all states are moving forward rapidly to create exchanges, and some are outright resisting doing so, as of February 2012, 11 states had already officially created exchanges and more will be moving to do so in the coming year. But, as these exchanges are being developed, advocates for women's health and public health must guard against the introduction of policies that would restrict reproductive health coverage, discriminate against LGBTQ people, poorly serve immigrants or fail to adequately address health disparities. The authors will present a "watch list" of critical issues for advocates to monitor and influence as state exchanges are being developed. These issues include: exchange leadership and governance to ensure transparent operations with adequate public input and without undue influence by insurance companies and regressive politicians; consumer assistance programs that help people choose health coverage that meets their needs and fits their budgets; provider network adequacy to ensure that the exchanges include enough reproductive health providers, community health centers, providers who can serve LGBTQ people and providers who speak languages other than English; coverage benefits that include women's health and LGBTQ health needs; and potential service restrictions or policies that would allow providers to refuse to deliver certain services or treat certain patients. The authors will provide examples of how state-based advocates have countered negative proposed policies and help establish positive policies.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify policies that will enable a state health exchange to serve women's health needs appropriately 2. Compare health exchange policies from different states and assess their relative ability to serve women's health needs. 3. Analyze and evaluate proposed policies from your state exchange and discuss whether they will address women's health needs. 4. Propose changes or alternatives to any proposed policies that would have a negative effect on women's health.

Keywords: Access to Care, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am co-founder of a national initiative, Raising Women's Voices, that is working in 20 states to ensure the development of state health exchanges that meet the needs of women and our families. I am carrying out this work myself in NYS, where I am on the steering committee of Health Care for All NY and chair the health reform task force of the NY Alliance for women's Health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.