[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 48 (Thursday, March 22, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1500]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             WOMEN'S HEALTH

  (Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, today I rise to speak of the need to protect 
the health care of American women.
  Last week, I hosted a women's conference focused on the benefit of 
the Affordable Care Act for women. The historic health care reform is a 
step in the right direction for the health of mothers, sisters, 
daughters, and granddaughters.
  Thanks to affordable health care, women can no longer be dropped from 
insurance coverage when they get sick or become pregnant. Twenty 
million women have already used free preventive services offered 
through health care reform, including mammograms and colonoscopies.
  Beginning in 2014, women will no longer be denied coverage for having 
a preexisting condition. The health care law finally ends gender 
rating, in which women are forced to pay higher premiums than men for 
the same coverage.
  American women are the foundation of our families. We must protect 
the benefit of health care reform and ensure that all women have better 
access to health care.

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