SWHR's Legislation Included in Health Care Reform Bill

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For Immediate Release

November 17, 2009                                                                           

 

 

 SWHR Included in Health Care Reform Bill

(Washington)-  The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR)’s signature piece of legislation - Women’s Health Office Act, originally introduced to Congress in 1994, was included as a provision in the House’s historic Health Care Reform Bill: The Affordable Health Care Act of 2009 (H.R. 3692) on Saturday November 7, 2009. 

The Women’s Health Office Act (WHOA) was developed to provide federal protection to women’s health care offices. The WHOA’s purpose is to provide and protect adequate funding and staffing resources to help maintain and increase public education campaigns, clinical studies and research for and about women’s health. Without adequate protection, provided in the provision, women’s health offices could be forced to eliminate programs, education campaigns, tools, information, funding and staffing that help America’s women make informed health care decisions.

“Throughout our history, SWHR has focused on the importance of improving health for all women. We are not only pleased with our accomplishments, but the valuable relationships that we’ve established through the years,” says Phyllis Greenberger, President and CEO of Society for Women’s Health Research.

The WHOA, in addition to  safeguarding  federal offices of women’s health, will work to increase staffing opportunities  allowing agency offices to establish, facilitate and exchange women’s health information, promotions, prevention health services and education, while  monitoring and communicating with regional activities, and advising on scientific, legal, ethical and policy issues. The WHOA’s provision also includes opportunities for the federal offices of women’s health to communicate equally across multidisciplinary channels with non-governmental offices, organizations, consumer organizations, women’s health care professionals and other related individuals and groups deemed  appropriately  related to women’s health.

The Senate is currently working to combine the bills from the HELP committee and the Senate Finance committee to create a singular and final Health Care Bill that will be submitted for approval to President Obama.

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For more information on the Society for Women’s Health Research, contact Syieda Penn, Communications Manager at 202-496-5001 or syieda@womenshealthresearch.org. 

The Society for Women’s Health Research, based in Washington DC, is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of all women through advocacy, education and research.  Founded in 1990, the Society brought to national attention the need for the appropriate inclusion of women in major medical research studies and the need for more information about conditions affecting women disproportionately, predominately, or differently than men.  The Society advocates increased funding for research on women’s health; encourages the study of sex differences that may affect the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease; promotes the inclusion of women in medical research studies; and informs women, providers, policy makers and media about contemporary women’s health issues. Visit the Society’s Web site at www.womenshealthresearch.org for more information.

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