Women were skeptical about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's policies regarding health insurances. The reason? Things are gradually unfolding the risks for women's health benefits.
Before outgoing President Barack Obama enacted the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aka Obamacare in March 2010, women were charged higher rates for health care than men. Fortunately, under Obamacare, women were charged relatively lesser than men when it comes to health care insurance.
According to NPR, Obamacare has 10 essential health benefits for women. It included prenatal care and birth control or contraception. Under Obamacare, women were also facilitated with medical screenings, evaluations and medications by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Due to Donald Trump's health care law reform, however, National Women's Law Center's Reproductive Rights vice president Gretchen Brochelt said that any change or revision could damage the whole process and women would be again at the mercy of insurance companies. Assistant research professor at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Diana Palanker, also said that there could be no change in the prevalent services without changing the statute.
The Trump administration, on the other hand, may not be compassionate enough about women's health care. Evidently, Elle noted the President-elect's choice for Health Secretary, who is a strong opponent of the Affordable Care Act since it's advent.
Rep. Tom Price is openly against free birth control and experts are saying it's not just the contraceptive insurance that is at stake but women would also have to pay for preventive services. They have also pointed out that Price is not a human rights champion nor is he in favor of Planned Parenthood.
From the beginning, Trump was against Obamacare and wanted to repeal it since his campaign. Price seemed to be much alike as his earlier statements showed dislike for Obama's health care law. He called even called it a "vile liberal agenda that is threatening everything we hold dear as Americans."
Sarah Kliff of Vox has done an analysis on Price's 242-page plan. Kliff stated that young, healthy and rich people are going to benefit the most. However, the biggest disadvantage is for the poor if the incoming administration plans to totally repeal Obamacare, which is considered a blessing for millions of low-income Americans at the moment.
