State health officials and other members of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration on July 8 launched a statewide tour to raise awareness about preventive health services that are available at no cost to women in Pennsylvania.
Under the Affordable Care Act, ACA marketplace and most private insurance plans must offer a variety of preventive services without charging a co-payment, even if the patient hasn’t met their deductible. Those services include annual check-ups; screenings for breast cancer, anxiety, cervical cancer, HIV, and diabetes during and after pregnancy; contraception; breastfeeding supplies; and counseling for women experiencing interpersonal and domestic violence.
A little less than one-third, 31%, of Pennsylvania women were unaware that they may be able to use these services for free, according to a survey conducted by state officials last year. The same survey found the top factors that influence a woman’s decision to access preventive care were cost, finding a provider and time constraints.
Officials hope to increase that percentage with the tour, which began in Mechanicsburg on July 8 and will include stops in Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia, State College, and Pittsburgh. The tour will conclude in September. A list of the dates and locations for the sessions is available by clicking here. Those traveling on the tour are from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, and the governor’s Advisory Commission on Women.
“Preventive care is a powerful tool against cancer and heart disease, yet many women overlook these services because of the cost of care,” Secretary of Health Debra Bogen said in a press release announcing the tour. “Women should know that when health issues are caught early, treatments are usually easier and outcomes are better.”
For Pennsylvanians who do not have insurance, Bogen noted in the release that the state Department of Health provides free screenings for breast and cervical cancers and high blood pressure across the state. Information about the free screenings is posted on the Department of Health’s website.
The number of uninsured people is growing in Pennsylvania since congressional Republicans did not extend expanded tax credits that helped Americans pay for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. After those credits lapsed at the end of 2025, healthcare insurance premiums soared, and millions of Americans have lost their marketplace coverage.
Pennie, the state ACA marketplace, reported that more than 160,000 Pennsylvanians have dropped their marketplace coverage since the beginning of January.
The tour is part of a larger campaign focused on education about preventive care, for which state officials are using a $635,352 grant that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department under the Biden administration in 2024.
“We want women in Pennsylvania to know that there are healthcare services available to them for free through Medicaid and most other health insurance,” state Department of Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh said in a press release. “As a physician, I can say with certainty that preventive services and screenings are vital to good health and identifying potential issues early before they become more serious.”
The sessions regarding preventive services for women will be held as follows:
Aug. 13 at Action Together NEPA, located at 30 E. Northampton Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Aug. 26 at Parkway Central Library, located at 1901 Vine St. in Philadelphia.
Sept. 2 at Schlow Centre Region Library, located at 211 Allen St. in State College.
Sept. 3 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Pittsburgh.