[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 116 (Wednesday, August 1, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H5536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NEW PREVENTIVE SERVICES FOR WOMEN

  (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark a key milestone in 
women's access to affordable health care services. Starting today, and 
thanks to the health care reform law, women will have guaranteed access 
to a host of preventive services in new health care plans, without 
additional costs. These benefits--including annual well-women 
physicals, birth control coverage, and screenings for domestic violence 
among them--are a critical step to ensuring that all women get the care 
they need to stay healthy and treat disease early.
  Far too often, women put off needed care because of the cost; but 
this new coverage benefit makes some of these tough decisions a thing 
of the past, decisions like whether to pay for treatment or to pay for 
groceries.
  As we celebrate this day, we must also remember that these health 
care services continue to be politicized and face many attacks. These 
attacks are not only divisive but an intrusion into women's private 
health decisions. We must stand up to such partisan attacks and support 
these important health care benefits and thus ensure that all women and 
their families have access to affordable preventive care services.

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