[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]




              THE ADVANCES FOR WOMEN IN HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Ms. TSONGAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. TSONGAS. Madam Speaker, tomorrow marks the second anniversary of 
the landmark health care reform bill being signed into law by President 
Obama.
  Many of the important reforms under the new law benefit women, who 
for years have faced discriminatory practices by insurance companies 
and borne higher health care costs simply as a result of their gender.
  Because of the new law, women can no longer be denied coverage or 
charged more for such preexisting conditions as breast or cervical 
cancer, pregnancy, or, of all things, being a victim of domestic abuse.
  Women no longer have to share the cost of critical and potentially 
lifesaving preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies.
  These reforms for women not only make care more equitable, but they 
also help to reduce the cost of care by insuring that many diseases are 
detected early or prevented before their onset through vaccinations and 
regular screenings.
  While additional reforms will be implemented in stages, many 
advances, as a result of health care reform, are already making a 
difference in the lives of women across this country.

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