Physicians urge Washington to consider women's health care in new legislation

In an action to protect women’s health care from future legislation, the American Academy of Family Physicians, (AAFP) has united with four other major medical groups asking President Donald Trump and Congress to ensure that very cause.

Along with the AAFP,  the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Osteopathic Association signed a letter, dated Jan. 25, urging the president and Congress “to ensure that any changes maintain the safeguards for women’s health,” an article on the AAFP website stated. Combined, the organizations that signed the letter represent 500,000 physicians nationwide.

"Women have an enormous amount at stake as Congress debates the future of health insurance coverage, the letter said. "It's guaranteed that no woman will be charged more for, or denied, coverage because of her gender, because she was the victim of domestic violence or because she had a previous C-section."

Four priorities for women's health care identified by the organizations are:

• ensuring women have affordable access to evidence-based care, 

• opposing political interference in the physician-patient relationship, 

• retaining current benefits, including preventive care and a ban on gender rating, and

• protecting Medicaid coverage and financing.

The letter emphasized that "healthy women are the foundation of our economy and society," and asked lawmakers to maintain safeguards for women already established. Finally, the authors warned that any new legislation should not “weaken women's health rights regarding preventive, prenatal and neonatal care.”