What women want from health care reform and what we will get

Through our health care reform initiative, Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need (RWV), the National Women's Health Network has been working for two years to get health care reform that will meet the health needs of all women. We’ve articulated a vision of how women want the U.S. health system improved, and we’re working with all of you to make sure the Congress makes women’s needs a priority as they develop the legislation. This week, we passed a major milestone in the effort when the fifth and final Congressional Committee to review health reform, voted a bill out of committee!

Now women need to look at the legislation these committees have produced and see how it measures up against what we want and need. With our allies at RWV we’ve produced a great new reference tool to help women do that. It outlines eight key improvements women want to see in health reform legislation and explains how those improvements are, or are not, addressed in the five Congressional bills issued as of October 15, 2009. There’s a short and snappy version and a longer version with more policy details – we hope you’ll find both useful!