Women’s Health Care Policy - Reports, Public Opinion & Research

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Issue Brief Examines Access to Abortion Coverage and Health Reform
This issue brief discusses current law regarding federal and state policies that address abortion coverage, lays out key issues being debated regarding abortion coverage under health reform, and raises questions about the possible impact of the House and Senate legislation on women’s coverage for abortion services.

State Medicaid Coverage of Family Planning Services: Summary of State Survey Findings
This report presents state-by-state policies on coverage of key areas in reproductive health for low-income women, including contraception, preconception care, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and coverage within special state Medicaid family planning programs.

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Access to Abortion Coverage and Health Reform -- January 2010
This issue brief discusses the treatment of coverage for abortion services under the major health reform bills and explores the possible impact of the leading House and Senate passed legislation on coverage for abortion services.

Health Reform: Implications for Women's Access to Coverage and Care -- December 2009
This issue brief highlights key issues for women that arise in the context of health reform, including access to health insurance coverage, health care affordability, scope of benefits, reproductive health and long-term care. The brief examines the current situation for women as well as relevant provisions in the major reform legislation now under consideration in the House and Senate.

Today's Topics In Health Disparities: What Might Health Reform Mean for Women of Color? -- December 2009

This Today's Topics In Health Disparities webcast examines aspects of the current Senate and House health reform bills that particularly impact women of color. The panelists will discuss provisions such as those that would preclude insurance companies from gender rating, remove barriers to care for pre-existing conditions, and improve access to preventive services.

State Medicaid Coverage of Perinatal Services: Summary of State Survey Findings -- November 2009
This report examines state Medicaid program policies regarding coverage of pregnancy-related services. It details state-level Medicaid eligibility and enrollment policies for pregnant women, as well as scope of coverage for prenatal and screening services, delivery and post-partum care, educational classes and support services.

State Medicaid Coverage of Family Planning Services: Summary of State Survey Findings -- November 2009
This report presents state-by-state policies on coverage of key areas in reproductive health for low-income women, including contraception, preconception care, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and coverage within special state Medicaid family planning programs.

Women's Health Insurance Coverage: Fact Sheet -- October 2009
This fact sheet provides new statistics on health coverage and describes the major sources of health insurance for non-elderly adult women ages 18–64, including employer-sponsored coverage, Medicaid, individually purchased insurance, and Medicare.

Health Insurance Coverage of Women Ages 18 to 64, by State, 2007–2008 -- October 2009
This fact sheet provides state-by-state data on the uninsured rate, as well as rates of private insurance coverage and Medicaid coverage, among women nationally, in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Fact Sheet: Women and HIV/AIDS in the United States -- September 2009
This updated fact sheet highlights the impact of HIV/AIDS on women in the United States, providing current data and trends over time

The U.S. and Global Maternal & Child Health -- August 2009
The fact sheet examines U.S. global health policy related to maternal and child health.

Health Coverage and Expenses: Impact on Older Women's Economic Well-Being -- August 2009
In this article in the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, researchers from the Kaiser Family Foundation examine how health issues that women face over the course of their lives, as well as policies that shape Medicare, Medicaid and other supplemental coverage, can affect retired women's economic well-being.

This issue brief discusses the treatment of coverage for abortion services under the major health reform bills and explores the possible impact of the leading House and Senate passed legislation on coverage for abortion services.

This issue brief highlights key issues for women that arise in the context of health reform, including access to health insurance coverage, health care affordability, scope of benefits, reproductive health and long-term care. The brief examines the current situation for women as well as relevant provisions in the major reform legislation now under consideration in the House and Senate.

This report examines state Medicaid program policies regarding coverage of pregnancy-related services. It details state-level Medicaid eligibility and enrollment policies for pregnant women, as well as scope of coverage for prenatal and screening services, delivery and post-partum care, educational classes and support services.

This report presents state-by-state policies on coverage of key areas in reproductive health for low-income women, including contraception, preconception care, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and coverage within special state Medicaid family planning programs.

This fact sheet provides new statistics on health coverage and describes the major sources of health insurance for non-elderly adult women ages 18–64, including employer-sponsored coverage, Medicaid, individually purchased insurance, and Medicare.

This fact sheet provides state-by-state data on the uninsured rate, as well as rates of private insurance coverage and Medicaid coverage, among women nationally, in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

This updated fact sheet highlights the impact of HIV/AIDS on women in the United States, providing current data and trends over time

The fact sheet examines U.S. global health policy related to maternal and child health.

In this article in the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, researchers from the Kaiser Family Foundation examine how health issues that women face over the course of their lives, as well as policies that shape Medicare, Medicaid and other supplemental coverage, can affect retired women's economic well-being.

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Women's Health Policy

Women are major consumers of health care services, negotiating not only their own complex health care but often managing care for their family members as well. Their reproductive health needs as well as their greater rates of health problems and longer life spans compared with men make women’s relationships with the health care system complex. Women are also more likely to be low-income and often face the added challenge of balancing work with family health and caregiving responsibilities. For the one in five women who are uninsured, access to high quality, comprehensive care is even more difficult.

Women have a vested interest in the scope and type of services offered by the health care system, as well as in the mechanisms that fund their health care services. Because their access to care is influenced by a broad range of factors, analysis of women’s health policy cuts across many sectors of the health care financing and delivery system, including reproductive health policy, reforms to publicly-financed health programs, as well as private sector efforts to contain costs and improve health. Women comprise the majority of beneficiaries in publicly –funded programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and welfare, making them key stakeholders in public policy debates about the impact of reforms to these programs. Because of their lower incomes, affordability and cost of care are critical issues for women.

The Foundation aims to provide policymakers, journalists, advocates, and public health practitioners with current analysis on the policies in health financing and delivery that affect women. The particular challenges faced by women at risk for experiencing access barriers, such as those on Medicaid, those who are uninsured, and racial and ethnic minorities, are a special focus. Primary activities include conducting periodic surveys on women's interactions with the health care system, monitoring reforms under consideration in Washington and state capitols across the country, conducting research to document the impact of policies and to identify emerging priority areas for women, as well as briefing policymakers and their staff on key trends and issues to inform current policy debates.