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 cur-
rent 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 op-
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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, pri-
marily in reduced spending for low birth weight and 
preterm infants; 
Whereas, prior to the enactment of current law, a 25-year- 
old 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 in-
surance currently have access to coverage with no cost 
sharing of evidence-based preventive services, including 
breast and cervical cancer screening, breastfeeding serv-
ices and supplies, contraception and contraceptive coun-
seling, 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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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 terri-
tories no longer need a referral to see their ob-gyn pro-
vider; 
Whereas roughly 65 million women with pre-existing condi-
tions, including a prior Cesarean section or a history of 
domestic violence, can no longer be denied health insur-
ance 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 ma-
ternity care and other health care: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that our Nation’s health care system should 
continue to provide health insurance coverage for funda-
mental elements of women’s health care, including— 
(1) coverage for maternity care for all women 
under all health insurance plans; 
(2) coverage with no cost sharing of evidence- 
based preventive care and services, including— 
(A) breast cancer screening for average- 
risk women; 
(B) breastfeeding services and supplies; 
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(C) screening for cervical cancer; 
(D) contraception and contraceptive coun-
seling; 
(E) screening for gestational diabetes; 
(F) screening for human immunodeficiency 
virus; 
(G) screening for interpersonal and domes-
tic violence; 
(H) counseling for sexually transmitted in-
fections; and 
(I) well-woman preventive visits; 
(3) direct access to ob-gyn care; 
(4) prohibition against pre-existing condition 
exclusions; 
(5) no gender rating; 
(6) no annual or lifetime limits or rescissions; 
and 
(7) no excessive waiting periods for access to 
health care. 
Æ 
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