by Gretchen Borchelt

For decades, insurance companies were able to create their own rules. They denied people health coverage because of pre-existing conditions, even shamefully denying women coverage because of health needs related to rape and domestic violence. They charged women more than men for the same health coverage, simply because they were women. And they failed to cover women’s specific health needs, like maternity care.

 But the health care law, known as the Affordable Care Act, changed everything. It stopped the health insurance companies saying that merely being a woman is a preexisting condition.

 Some insurance companies are not following the law.

Tell Health and Human Services Secretary Burwell to stop insurance companies from denying women and their families the health care they deserve.

 After extensive research and hundreds of hours reviewing health plans across the country, the National Women’s Law Center uncovered hundreds of instances of health insurance companies not following the law. We recently released two reports that document how insurance companies are leaving women without critical coverage they need and that is required by law. The report includes examples like:

◾Denying maternity coverage to a woman if she enrolls in her husband’s plan.

◾Making women pay for preventive services that they should be getting without out-of-pocket costs.

◾Failing to cover breastfeeding support and supplies as required by law.

◾Denying women certain services based on an arbitrary age limit.

◾Not providing coverage for all methods of birth control.

◾Excluding coverage for transgender people.

Don’t let insurance companies continue to go rogue.

Tell Secretary Burwell to make sure insurance companies stop breaking the law.

Enough is enough.

Thanks for keeping it personal,

Gretchen Borchelt

Acting Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights

National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Check out our reports to learn more about how health insurance companies are violating the law.