04/22/2023
The ACA mandates that plans include maternity coverage and makes key preventive services available without cost sharing, including breastfeeding support services and supplies; annual well-woman visits; and screenings for cervical cancer, HIV, and interpersonal and domestic violence. Thanks to the ACA, about 61 million women nationwide can access contraception without any out-of-pocket cost. One study estimated that the ACA’s contraception benefit has saved women at least $1.4 billion annually on birth control pills alone.
The ACA also recognized that supporting maternal and infant health required policy changes beyond health coverage. The law mandates that employers provide breastfeeding mothers break time and a private space to express milk during the workday.