Women as health care decision-makers: implications for health care coverage in the United States

Women in the United States make approximately 80% of the health care decisions for their families, yet often go without health care coverage themselves. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act provides an historical opportunity for women to gain health care coverage for themselves and their families. The focus of this commentary is on women's leadership roles in the context of health care decision- making and Affordable Care Act education and outreach, and implications for reaching broader health and social goals.