The Affordable Care Act: Supporting Working Mothers
Coauthored by Rachel Gielau
Did You Know that the Affordable Care Act requires employers to provide a designated breastfeeding station and allowbreak time for women to breastfeed or pump during the workday?
That’s right! Employers with at least 50 employees must allow for reasonable break times during the workday for working mothers to nurse or pump, and must also provide a breastfeeding station other than the bathroom. According to the law, working mothers must have access to these breastfeeding accommodations for one year after their child is born.
This is a wonderful achievement for women’s rights and women’s health, not to mention the health of our nation’s children who benefit immensely from being breastfed during infancy. Breastfeeding gives children a kickstart to preventing chronic illnesses like asthma, lower respiratory infections, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, and building healthy immune systems. And it’s great for mothers too. Breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of women developing breast & ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and postpartum depression. By preventing short and long term health complications for mother and child, this healthy practice is also good for the economy, business, and the environment, and it saves families money too! Recent research shows that the United States could save an aggregate of 13 billion dollars per year if 90 percent of our nation’s mothers breastfed their newborns for the first 6 months due to reduced medical expenses. It is also been shown that women and their partners miss fewer work days due to sick children when their babies are breastfed during infancy, which fosters productivity in the workplace. Breastfeeding also avoids the environmental cost and waste associated with producing and using formula and plastic bottles.
In this effort to ensure that our nation’s women have the tools they need to successfully breastfeed their newborns, the Affordable Care Act is working to break down barriers for women in the doctor’s office. Starting in August of this year, women with non-grandfathered health insurance plans will be able to receive breastfeeding support and counseling, and access to breastfeeding supplies without having to pay money out-of-pocket. This is part of the excellent list of women’s preventive health services that were passed down by HHS last summer.
Learn even more about the Affordable Care Act’s many achievements for women’s health online. For breastfeeding support and helpful resources, go here.
As we wrap up this holiday season, thank you, Affordable Care Act,for being an advocate for the health and wellbeing of our nation’s women and children.
