The percentage of uninsured women aged 15 to 44 dropped sharply between 2013 and 2014, the first year of implementation of the Affordable Care Act, according to an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute.
Nationwide, nearly 18% women childbearing age had no insurance in 2013. Following the first year of implementation, that number fell to just under 14%, a decline 22%.
Among women with incomes below the poverty line, more than 32% were before the , compared to less than 26%, a 20% reduction.
In states that expanded their programs following the implementation, the number of women declined by 32%, compared to just 14% in non-expansion states.
The Guttmacher Institute, which conducts research on issues related to reproductive health, said that “the gains in the proportion of women aged 15–44 who have had significant implications for access to in general, and to sexual and reproductive in particular.”
It noted that offers a broad range of reproductive services, including family planning services and supplies, and requires to include reproductive and contraceptive as well as other medical services important to women.