MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- While the politics of President Obama's Affordable Health Care Act will continue to dominate Washington's war of words, the actual health care has already started.
47 million women now can access preventative health care, like cancer and diabetes screenings, birth control, and domestic violence services with no co-pay or deductible.
Sarah Stoez, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota and the Dakotas says that is good news.
"Nine hundred thousand women in our state alone will have access to these health benefits now that they didn't have before," Stoez said Tuesday.
If you aren't already included and you have insurance thru your employer this care will kick in when your employer goes thru its annual enrollment, for many that is January of 2013.
If you are under private insurance, it is when you renew or buy a new plan.
In any event, if you want to know your date for sure just make a call.
"What people should do is look on the back of the insurance card, call the number and ask when the preventative services benefit takes effect, for many they will find it has already happened," Stoez said.
Many are asking why are women getting singled out here? The answer is pretty simple.
"Women pay way more out of pocket over the course of a lifetime than men do," Stoez points out.
Women need more care, generally, than men.
It's just the nature of the difference of anatomy.
This law makes it illegal for insurers to charge women more money than men for the same plan.
Sarah Stoez runs Planned Parenthood in our region, we spoke to her because 95 percent of what that organization does is preventative care so it is obviously in favor of the women's health care changes.
But just as many folks are not, including the presumptive republican nominee for president, Mitt Romney.
Romney has said many times on the campaign trail, if he wins the oval office, he will repeal Obama's health care plan.
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