In marketplace, women may face more coverage gaps than men

Health plans purchased through the marketplace might be disproportionately damaging to women, according to a new study from the National Women’s Law Center.

That’s because certain coverage exclusions apply to conditions and procedures more commonly related to women than to men. For example, certain indicators of a genetic propensity for ovarian and breast cancers can cause coverage gaps for women. Other conditions less likely to be covered tend to affect women more frequently than men, such as eating disorders, genetic testing, treatment for complications related to non-covered services such as cosmetic surgery, and fetal reduction surgery.

Check out Kaiser Health News to see how likely it is these services are not covered under marketplace plans, how the situation came to be and how some patient advocates are suggesting women navigate it.