Health Care Coverage Rates For Women At All Time High
Health coverage rates for women are at an all time high, reports the Kaiser Family Foundation. Conducted in the summer and fall of 2017, the survey provides a national overview of women’s health care coverage, access, and affordability.
Health Care: Affordability and Access to Women’s Care
Despite increases in coverage under the ACA, 26 percent of women report that they delayed care due to cost in 2017.
In addition, 23 percent of all women and 34 percent of low-income women didn’t receive timely care because they couldn’t take time off work.
Sixty seven percent report that they get their care from doctor’s offices. 48 percent of uninsured women, 43 percent of Latinas, and 26 percent of African American women went to clinics.
Health Care: Preventive Health For Women
81 percent of women reported that they had a checkup or well woman visit in the past two years.
Provider counseling on some topics have risen. For example, 75 percent of women report that clinicians discussed diet, exercise, or nutrition with them in the prior three years. This is up from 56 percent in 2004.
Counseling rates for drug and alcohol use (40%) and intimate partner violence (27%) ar up to.
47 percent of women say that women without family history of breast cancer should begin mammography screening before age 40. Guidelines from several professional organizations recommend starting at age 40 or later.
Health Care: Work and Family Health
In most households, women manage children’s health care needs. This includes taking children to appointments and getting follow up care.
About two-thirds of women report that their employers offer paid sick leave (65%) and paid vacation (69%), but far fewer have paid maternity leave (44%) or paid family leave (44%).
Conclusion
The survey is the latest in a periodic series of surveys of women’s health conducted approximately every four years.
The upward trend is positive as more women understand he need to stay healthy.
Additional survey findings are presented in a series of periodic briefs focusing on coverage, access, and affordability.