For the third year in a row, Raising Women’s Voices is sharing health insurance literacy materials to help newly insured people get the most out of their coverage. The social media graphics we created are tailored to audiences who often do not “see themselves” in messages intended for the general population. This year, we developed materials featuring Navajo women and families in addition to those featuring rural women, women of color, Latinx people, immigrants, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities. Along with Community Catalyst and other national non-profits, Raising Women’s Voices and our regional coordinators are using social media and distributing flyers to reach our constituencies. All of the print and social media materials we created are available for free usage at the Community Catalyst Outreach Hub.

Here are some of the messages we are sharing with newly insured people to help them get the most out of their 2020 health coverage and maximize their well-being.

Pay your monthly bill on time!

If you purchased your health plan through healthcare.gov or your state’s marketplace, remember to pay your bill every month, whether or not you use your insurance.

Schedule a FREE check-up!

Your health plan will pay the full cost of preventive care. So, make that appointment now with your primary care provider and/or ob-gyn. A woman’s annual check-up is called a “Well-Woman Visit.” If you need to see two different providers (such as a primary care provider and an ob-gyn) to get all of your needed preventive care, it’s still covered 100%. If you have children, schedule their preventive check-ups, too.

Find doctors you trust.

The key to getting the most value out of your health plan is finding doctors and other health care providers you trust who take your insurance. A good way to start is by calling your health plan for help. Tell the representative what is important to you in a doctor, such as office location, languages spoken, gender, hospital affiliation or office hours. If you are looking for an LGBTQ-friendly doctor, try searching the glma directory. You can also ask friends, family or colleagues for recommendations. If you try a new doctor and you do not like him or her, you do not have to go back. You are entitled to try someone different next time.

Get FREE birth control.

While you are at your Well-Woman Visit, discuss your options with your doctor and make the choice that's best for you. All FDA-approved forms of birth control must be 100% paid for by your health plan. Some brands may not be covered by your particular health plan, so discuss it with your provider before she writes the prescription.

Take care of your mental health.

The ACA requires health plans to cover mental health care the same way they cover physical health care. You will pay a deductible or co-payment. After that, your insurance will pay the rest, without limits on the number of visits or cost, as long as you see a mental health provider participating in your health plan.

Raising Women’s Voices (RWV) is a national initiative working to make sure women’s voices are heard and women’s concerns are addressed as policymakers put the health care law into action. We believe women are grassroots experts in what is wrong with the current health system and what it takes to fix it because of our roles as arrangers of health care for our families.

Millions of women across the United States have gained affordable health coverage through the new insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act. As a result, the proportion of adult women who are uninsured has been cut in half. Moreover, women have gained significant new coverage benefits, such as contraception with co-pays, and protections against discrimination.  Other policy wins for women have included guaranteed maternity coverage, protections against being charged more than men for the same policy and prohibitions on denying coverage for “pre-existing conditions,” such as having had a Cesarean section delivery or having been a victim of sexual assault.

Raising Women’s Voices is proud of our role in helping achieve these significant gains for women’s health. We are doing everything in our power to protect our health coverage from attempts  to repeal, replace or sabotage the Affordable Care Act.