IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 205 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to ensuring 

that women’s health care under current law is preserved. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 16, 2017 

Mrs. DAVIS of California submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with 

respect to ensuring that women’s health care under current law is preserved. 

Whereas, in 2006, 1 in 5 women of childbearing age lacked 

health insurance coverage, a rate exceeding that for all 

Americans under age 65; 

Whereas, in 2008, only 12 percent of health insurance plans 

on the individual market covered maternity care; 

Whereas, in 2009, nearly one-third of women reported that 

they either lacked health insurance coverage or were in 

transition between types of coverage around the time of 

pregnancy; 

Whereas uninsured pregnant women are less likely to seek 

prenatal care during the first trimester or receive the opVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:26 Mar 17, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR205.IH HR205

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•HRES 205 IH 

timal number of visits during their pregnancy, and have 

a 31 percent higher likelihood of experiencing an adverse 

health outcome after giving birth; 

Whereas inadequate use of prenatal care is associated with 

increased risks of low birth weight infants, preterm 

births, neonatal mortality, infant mortality, and maternal 

mortality; 

Whereas every $1 spent on prenatal care saves $3.38, primarily in reduced spending for low birth weight and 

preterm infants; 

Whereas, prior to the enactment of current law, a 25-yearold woman could pay as much as 81 percent more than 

a man for identical health insurance coverage, a practice 

that cost women approximately $1 billion annually; 

Whereas uninsured women with breast cancer are 30 to 50 

percent more likely to die from the disease; 

Whereas uninsured nonelderly women are three times less 

likely to have had a Pap test within the last three years, 

with a 60 percent greater risk of a late-stage cervical 

cancer diagnosis; 

Whereas more than 55 million women with private health insurance currently have access to coverage with no cost 

sharing of evidence-based preventive services, including 

breast and cervical cancer screening, breastfeeding services and supplies, contraception and contraceptive counseling, screening for interpersonal and domestic violence, 

counseling for sexually transmitted infections, screening 

for human immunodeficiency virus infection, screening 

for gestational diabetes, and well-woman preventive visits; 


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•HRES 205 IH 

Whereas, after the enactment of current law, women saved 

$1.4 billion on out-of-pocket costs for contraceptives in 

just one year; 

Whereas women in all 50 States and the United States territories no longer need a referral to see their ob-gyn provider; 

Whereas roughly 65 million women with pre-existing conditions, including a prior Cesarean section or a history of 

domestic violence, can no longer be denied health insurance coverage; 

Whereas 39.5 million women are no longer subject to lifetime 

coverage limits that previously left those with serious 

health conditions vulnerable to losing health insurance 

coverage mid-treatment; and 

Whereas women are no longer subject to waiting periods 

ranging from nine months to two years for access to maternity care and other health care: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that our Nation’s health care system should 

3 continue to provide health insurance coverage for funda4 mental elements of women’s health care, including— 

5 (1) coverage for maternity care for all women 

6 under all health insurance plans; 

7 (2) coverage with no cost sharing of evidence8 based preventive care and services, including— 

9 (A) breast cancer screening for average10 risk women; 

11 (B) breastfeeding services and supplies; 


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•HRES 205 IH 

1 (C) screening for cervical cancer; 

2 (D) contraception and contraceptive coun3 seling; 

4 (E) screening for gestational diabetes; 

5 (F) screening for human immunodeficiency 

6 virus; 

7 (G) screening for interpersonal and domes8 tic violence; 

9 (H) counseling for sexually transmitted in10 fections; and 

11 (I) well-woman preventive visits; 

12 (3) direct access to ob-gyn care; 

13 (4) prohibition against pre-existing condition 

14 exclusions; 

15 (5) no gender rating; 

16 (6) no annual or lifetime limits or rescissions; 

17 and 

18 (7) no excessive waiting periods for access to 

19 health care. 

Æ 


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