focus on health
:::for her:::
New Hope
for Overcoming Obesity-Related Infertility
The Affordable Care Act and
Obesity-related infertility is one of the most common problems faced by reproductive-age women trying to become pregnant.
Women’s
Health
Many medical professionals link the rise of infertility to obesity. New information from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine suggests surgical weight-loss procedures could not only help patients lose weight and reduce chronic health problems, but also improve conception rates. The procedures include:
Gastric banding
Gastric bypass
Sleeve gastrectomy
How Extra Weight Affects Fertility
When women carry extra weight, it can place stress on the organs of the body, including the ovaries. Being obese can lead to irregular menstrual cycles as well as polycystic ovary syndrome, which can affect cycles. Losing weight can often help return cycles to normal.
Maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy can also reduce a woman’s risk of developing gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine), which can put both mother and baby at risk.
North Shore-LIJ Health System and its affiliated hospitals have weight-loss options that fit your needs. To learn more, visit northshorelij.com, then click “Bariatric Surgery” under the “Services and Programs” section on the main page. For more information about our bariatric seminars, call 1-888-944-THIN (8446).
The implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or Affordable Care Act) brings new access to healthcare for women.
Specific changes to healthcare coverage include:
Prohibiting insurance companies from charging women more than men for similar coverage
Banning caps imposed by insurers on how much
coverage is available during
a patient’s lifetime
Requiring health plans to include maternity care
Banning insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher rates due to
a pre-existing condition
Allowing children to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until they reach age 26
An Ounce of Prevention
Additionally, the Affordable Care Act mandates that some preventive health services be made available to women at no cost. Mammograms, screenings for cervical cancer and other women’s health services are covered expenses under some health plans and for women on Medicare. Additional guidelines recommended by the Institute of Medicine for women’s preventive services allow women to visit the OB-GYN of their choice without a referral for services that include:
Well-woman visits
Breast-feeding equipment assistance
Contraception
Domestic violence screening
and counseling
For a more detailed explanation of the law or to view the Affordable
Care Act, visit healthcare.gov.
