New and updated fact sheets written by experts at the National Partnership for Women & Families guide women and consumers on how best to navigate state health insurance marketplaces. The fact sheets use plain language to explain upcoming deadlines and what to expect when shopping for a health plan. The resources also provide key questions consumers should ask themselves when choosing a plan, and much more. Some are written specifically for mothers, women of color, and women who are low-income, older or pregnant. Several address aspects of women’s health, including maternity care, family planning services and abortion care.

“The open enrollment period that begins today is a critical opportunity for the nation’s consumers to sign up for health insurance plans that are right for them, compare options, get financial assistance, or re-enroll in the coverage they have,” said Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “Millions of people got the health coverage they urgently needed during the first open enrollment period, and millions more can do so during this one. Those who signed up last year need to take steps to continue their coverage. At the National Partnership, we will do all we can to educate the public — and women in particular — about the need to visit the marketplaces during this open enrollment period. Coverage is the gateway to the health care services women and families all across the country need.”

The National Partnership’s new and updated fact sheets address:

• Health Insurance 101

• Choosing a Health Plan 101

• Why the Affordable Care Act Matters for Women: Summary of Key Provisions

• The Requirement to Have Health Insurance

• Health Insurance Marketplaces

• Affordability and Choice in the Insurance Marketplace

• Expanding Access to Health Insurance

• Increasing Access to Health Care for Women and Families: Medicaid Expansion

• Premium and Cost-Sharing Assistance

• Maintaining Your Health Coverage

• Improving Health Care for Older Women

• Improving Health Care for Women of Color

• Improving Health Coverage for Lower-Income Women

• Better Care for Pregnant Women and Mothers

• Health Insurance Coverage for Lower- and Moderate-Income Pregnant Women

• Expanding Medicaid Family Planning Services

• Preserving Access to Women’s Health Clinics

• Comprehensive Sex Education for Teens

• Restrictions on Abortion Coverage

• Health Information Technology: The Foundation for Health Reform

“The Affordable Care Act has begun to transform health care in this country and put more women and families on the path to better health,” Ness added. “Because of this law, women are not charged more than men for the same policies, people with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage, and the days when our insurance policies failed us when we needed them most are over. This new open enrollment period is another opportunity for families to benefit from the law and get the coverage they need.”