As more Floridians gained access to insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 2013 marked the beginning of many great strides for women’s health care. Prior to the opening of the federal health insurance exchange, 1.47 million women in Florida were already receiving expanded preventive services coverage through new insurance protections. Since the federal Marketplace opened, Florida has led the country in enrollment, with more than 360,000 applicants since October 1, 2013. This shows the dire need for affordable health insurance in the state.
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However, hundreds of thousands of Floridians will not have access to coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Our state legislature decided to reject federal funds for expanded access to health care. As a result, more than 350,000 women will fall into the “coverage gap.” These women will be left without affordable health insurance options and with very limited access to health care. In 2011, 1.5 million Florida women between the ages of 18 and 64 had no health insurance, and many of these women will continue to struggle to afford health care in the years to come.
On top of all this, attacks on women’s health care have continued across the nation, putting women’s health at even greater risk. In the last three years, more than 30 bills have been introduced in the Florida Legislature attempting to restrict a woman’s ability to make her own medical decisions. An all-out abortion ban has been introduced three years running, and restrictions that would shut the doors of all Planned Parenthood health centers in the state have been introduced two years in a row.
These attacks are happening across the country – from North Carolina to Wisconsin and from Texas to North Dakota. These states do not need more political interference in women’s health, and neither does Florida. Rather, we need to build a stronger system for women, men and families to have access to health care. This report details the appalling state of women’s health in Florida, and serves as a call to action to our state leaders and citizens to demand a change.
