Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to ensuring that women's health care under current law is preserved.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the health care system should continue to provide health insurance coverage for fundamental elements of women's health care, including maternity care, preventive care with no cost sharing, and coverage for preexisting conditions.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 205 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 optimal 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-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 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;
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
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
our Nation's health care system should continue to provide health 
insurance coverage for fundamental 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;
                    (C) screening for cervical cancer;
                    (D) contraception and contraceptive counseling;
                    (E) screening for gestational diabetes;
                    (F) screening for human immunodeficiency virus;
                    (G) screening for interpersonal and domestic 
                violence;
                    (H) counseling for sexually transmitted infections; 
                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.
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