PHILADELPHIA, PA — Pennsylvania officials used Women’s Equality Day on Wednesday to promote no-cost preventive health services available through most insurance plans, expanding a statewide outreach effort after a survey found nearly one-third of women were at least somewhat unaware of benefits available under the Affordable Care Act.
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department held the latest stop of its women’s health insurance informational tour in Philadelphia alongside the departments of Health and Human Services, the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women and Penn Medicine. The tour is scheduled to continue through September.
Under the Affordable Care Act, most health plans are required to cover a range of preventive services for women without deductibles, copayments or coinsurance when care is obtained from an in-network provider. Those services include annual wellness visits and screenings for breast and cervical cancer, anxiety, HIV and diabetes during and after pregnancy.
Coverage also includes contraception, breastfeeding services and supplies, counseling for sexually transmitted infections, urinary incontinence screening and screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence.
The outreach campaign addresses an awareness gap identified by the Insurance Department. A 2025 survey found 31% of Pennsylvania women described themselves as very or somewhat unaware of preventive services available at no cost under the ACA. Cost, finding a provider and time constraints were the leading factors influencing decisions about whether to obtain preventive care.
“Understanding what is available through your insurance can be the first step toward taking charge of your health,” Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys stated. He said the sessions are intended to remind women about preventive services available without additional cost.
The campaign is backed by $635,352 awarded to the Insurance Department in 2024 by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve women’s access to health benefits across Pennsylvania. The department used the funding to launch an awareness and education campaign this summer focused on preventive care.
Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen also urged women to obtain screenings appropriate for their age and risk factors, citing prevention and early detection as important to improving outcomes from diseases including heart disease and cancer. The Department of Health supports free screening programs for high blood pressure and breast and cervical cancers for women who are uninsured or underinsured.
The Insurance Department’s statewide tour is designed to give women an opportunity to ask questions about coverage and discuss their experiences navigating the insurance system. Tour dates and locations are available at pa.gov/womenshealth.
Pennsylvanians with health insurance questions or complaints can visit pa.gov/consumer or contact the Insurance Department at 1-866-PA-COMPLAINT (1-866-722-6675).
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