[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8978--MAY 10, 2013

Proclamation 8978 of May 10, 2013

National Women's Health Week, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Since our Nation's founding, women have given their all to expanding
opportunity for their families and for future generations. Decade after
decade, that fierce dedication has been rewarded with remarkable
progress in nearly every part of society; yet all too often, advances in
women's health and well-being have lagged behind. During National
Women's Health Week, we recommit to changing that reality and increasing
access to health services that help women and girls get the care they
need.
Three years ago, I signed the Affordable Care Act--reform that brought
about a new era of equality in health care and gave women unprecedented
control over their health. Under the law, women will no longer face
higher insurance premiums because of their gender. It will be illegal
for insurers to deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions like
pregnancy or cancer. Already, 47 million women have gained access to
preventive services at no out-of-pocket cost, including well-woman
visits, domestic violence screenings and counseling, and contraceptive
care. And millions more are benefitting from improved prescription drug
coverage under Medicare that helps seniors get the medication they need
at prices they can afford.
These changes are making a real difference for families in every part of
our country. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, working mothers no
longer have to choose between getting essential care and paying their
bills. Women no longer have to delay mammograms just because money is
tight. And young people can stay on their parent's health insurance
until age 26, so they no longer have to worry about how to afford health
care when they are just starting out. I encourage women of all ages to
visit www.WomensHealth.gov, www.GirlsHealth.gov, and www.HealthCare.gov
to learn more about resources available to them, including the new
Health Insurance Marketplace.
This week, as we reflect on how far we have come in the fight to provide
Americans with the care they deserve, let us renew our commit-



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ment to empowering all women with the chance to live strong, healthy lives.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 12 through May 18,
2013, as National Women's Health Week. I encourage all Americans to
celebrate the progress we have made in protecting women's health and to
promote awareness, prevention, and educational activities that improve
the health of all women.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of May,
in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA