Health care is a central part of women’s lives, affecting their ability to care for themselves and their families, play a role in their community, participate in the workforce, and earn a living. Access to comprehensive, affordable, high-quality care is essential for women to meet their health care needs, which evolve throughout their lives. Women’s access to care is determined by a wide range of factors, including federal and state health policies. The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 marked a significant change in the availability and affordability of coverage and care for millions of previously uninsured women and men.
The 2017 Kaiser Women’s Health Survey, a nationally representative survey of women ages 18 to 64, finds that coverage rates for women are at unprecedented levels and that uptake of Preventive services are increasing, but many women still face a wide range of accessibility. and other access issues. This survey is the latest in a series of periodic women’s health surveys conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation approximately every four years since 2001. The new survey was conducted in the summer and fall of 2017 and included a nationally representative sample of 2,751 women aged 18 years. at 64 years old. Additionally, a shorter survey of 600 men aged 18 to 64 was conducted and the main results are included for comparison. The findings presented in this report examine women’s coverage, access and affordability of care, their linkages to the health care delivery system and their use of preventive care, their use of reproductive health services and their family health care responsibilities.
