The Commonwealth Fund released a brief examining the impact of the national health care reform law on women's health costs.  The brief asserts that health reform will result in up to 15 million uninsured women gaining health coverage.  In addition, the authors suggest that reform will reduce women's costs and bring their premiums into parity with men's.

From the report: This issue brief analyzes how, over the next decade, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is likely to stabilize and reverse women’s growing exposure to health care costs. Up to 15 million women who now are uninsured could gain subsidized coverage under the law. In addition, 14.5 million insured women will benefit from provisions that improve coverage or reduce premiums. Women who have coverage through the individual insurance market and are charged higher premiums than men, who have been unable to secure cover-age for the cost of pregnancy, or who have a preexisting health condition excluded from their benefits will ultimately find themselves on a level playing field with men, enjoying a full range of comprehensive benefits.

Full report: Realizing Health Reform's Potential: Women and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PDF | 300 KB)

Commonwealth Fund.  (2010).  Realizing health reform's potential: women and the Affordable Care Act of 2010.  Collins, S., Rustgi, S. and Doty, M.