Women are now able to get new preventive health care services free of charge. Beginning in 2010, the ACA required all new and renewing insurance plans to cover preventive health services like mammograms and cancer screenings at no cost - meaning no deductibles or co-pays.

As of August 1st, the list of free services includes coverage for the following new prevention-related services:

• an annual well woman visit,
• birth control, including oral contraception and IUDs,
• HIV screening and counseling,
• sexually transmitted infection counseling and testing
• screening for gestational diabetes,
• breastfeeding consultation and supplies,

  including breast pumps, and

•  screening and counseling for domestic violence.

Approximately 47 million women will now have guaranteed access to these additional preventive services without cost-sharing including 174,974 in Rhode Island.

Read more about how the ACA is helping women.

Helping Small Businesses Pay for Health Insurance

 Are you a small business or non- profit employer that pays at least half the cost of health insurance coverage for your employees? If so, you may qualify for a new tax credit that is available under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Here are the rules:

• Small businesses that pay at least 50% of their employees' health insurance premiums and have less than 25 full-time workers with average annual wages below $50,000 are eligible for tax credits up to 35% of their healthcare costs.
• Non-profit employers that meet the criteria are eligible for tax credits to help cover up to 25% of their health care costs.
• Beginning in 2014, the small business tax credit increases to 50% (up to 35% for non-profits) for qualifying businesses.

Approximately 18,000 small businesses in RI are eligible for these credits.
  

Resources 

For more detailed information on the tax credit (including a tax credit calculator) visit the Small Business Majority.

Learn how to claim the credit from the IRS.